Make The Best Of Your High School Years
The four years of high school are the building blocks that shape your future and mark your adulthood journey. You forge life-long relationships and habits in these years.
Which year of high school is the best?
The high school years are like a roller coaster – and each year is exhilarating in its way.
- Grade 9 or Freshman year – This year is new and exciting., It’s a time for adjustments as you progress from middle school to high school’s academic and social challenges. There’s more independence, but also more significant standards to live up to. You will deal with physical changes too. It’s also time to take up extracurricular activities that will add to your resume.
- Grade 10 or Sophomore year – In most international curricula, this is the time when students take their first public exams like the IGCSEs, ‘O’ levels, and board exams. The subjects you choose for the following two years of high school and possibly at the university will be decided based on your performance in these exams. You’d also have matured a bit and made some good friends by now.
- Grade 11 or Junior year – This is an academically-challenging year with probably the toughest course-load. The subjects you choose will lead to your choice of a university course. Work hard on your grades and extracurriculars as universities will consider these during the admission process. It would help if you pushed yourself as This is also the year to prepare for college admissions, SATs, ACTs, etc.
- Grade 12 or Senior year – You will write the SAT, ACT, etc., and send out your college applications this year. You can’t afford to slack off even after you are offered a place – you need to maintain your scores. International curricula like IB, ‘A’ levels, etc. also require you to appear for public or board exams that qualify you to graduate. Senior year can be stressful, full of nail-biting anticipation to hear back from universities and nostalgic feelings as you prepare to move on to college life and adulthood.
