What Did you Achieve today?

[Ansar]

Originally Posted by cubsfan6506

Me to
10987654321

Edit that post! You're not supposed to post the girl's number too!

[LightFang]

I lived through the first day of high school as a veritable junior. I'm scared. I've been told to expect around an hour of homework time for each IB class. That's six hours. I don't get home until around 4 o' clock, a good hour later than most students, because of my special condition of having seven periods due to my extra jazz band period. This means that I won't get to sleep until 10, at the latest, assuming I don't do anything else, like eat, or clean my room, or fool around on CFC.

I was told that sleep deprivation kicks in at around the end of September, and around the start of November is when one gets used to it. I fear for my life.

Plus, I'm taking Math and Science HL, and people have already sent me flowers.

I'll probably drop off the face of CFC. If you don't see me, you know what I'm doing (either praying or studying.)

[Integral]

Junior year is possibly the most important, and yet most fun, year of high school there is. I slept on average about 5 hours/night in junior year.

Then again, I enjoy studying, reading and research. So I'm probably not the best person to comment.

Integral

[carmen510]

Well, you could always use a calculator for the problems that you know how to solve already, but don't want to waste time on.

Or you could quit band. (Heck, about 7/8 of my class was in band. Why do they need more? )

I achieved the unachievable, I quit WoW.

Okay, well I never played, but I quit trying to find a way to get it free, without private servers, hence making me quit WoW, because I don't have the money to afford WoW.

[Ansar]

Originally Posted by Integral

Junior year is possibly the most important, and yet most fun, year of high school there is. I slept on average about 5 hours/night in junior year.

I've never understood this.

Why is Junior year the most important year? Isn't Senior year your most important?

[Mirc]

^ I've never understood that either, actually.

And I also don't understand how LightFang is a bit older than me, yet he had his first high school day while I'm in the last but one highschool year, when I thought the school years were the same here. Actually, some people tell me the high school is over for me now, that you don't learn anything new in the last 2 years, etc. Yet LightFang is older than me and just started today?

[Ansar]

Originally Posted by Mirc

^ I've never understood that either, actually.

And I also don't understand how LightFang is a bit older than me, yet he had his first high school day while I'm in the last but one highschool year, when I thought the school years were the same here. Actually, some people tell me the high school is over for me now, that you don't learn anything new in the last 2 years, etc. Yet LightFang is older than me and just started today?

Not his first high school day EVER, sillly Romanian.

Simply, his first day of the new school year.

[Japanrocks12]

First day of senior year and I like all of my classes. They're pretty academically challenging but I should be able to cruise right through them considering the hell of 10th and 11th grades. Oh, and I'm getting my yearbook photo taken in a few minutes

[CivGeneral]

I admited that I am to stuborn and egotistic to admit that I am wrong.

[Ansar]

Originally Posted by Japanrocks12

First day of senior year and I like all of my classes. They're pretty academically challenging but I should be able to cruise right through them considering the hell of 10th and 11th grades. Oh, and I'm getting my yearbook photo taken in a few minutes

Especially that free class, I bet that's the hardest one

[Japanrocks12]

Originally Posted by ansar

I've never understood this.

Why is Junior year the most important year? Isn't Senior year your most important?

junior year is when the bulk of academic courses are taken. usually, pressure is on to keep up grades at this point. By senior year, the actual courses are less stressful since there is less of a pressure to keep grades up at this point. But still, most of the stress in on the college application process (I am going to post a slew of threads about this as I go through it, bear with me )

Edit: xposted with Irish Caesar, who probably has a better explanation than I do

[Irish Caesar]

Originally Posted by ansar

I've never understood this.

Why is Junior year the most important year? Isn't Senior year your most important?

Halfway through senior year, you already have your acceptance to college. The second half of senior year, you only have to do good enough for the college not to change its mind.

Colleges see your junior year final grades when they make their decision on whether to accept or reject you; if you don't do so well freshman and sophomore year, but pick it up junior year, it reflects well on you. If your performance drops junior year from what you have already done, colleges may perceive that as slacking off or something like that.

[Ansar]

Originally Posted by Japanrocks12

junior year is when the bulk of academic courses are taken. usually, pressure is on to keep up grades at this point. By senior year, the actual courses are less stressful since there is less of a pressure to keep grades up at this point. But still, most of the stress in on the college application process (I am going to post a slew of threads about this as I go through it, bear with me )

Oh, I don't mind at all!

I'm completely useless about life after High School. I mean, I know I want to go to college, and to which ones, but I have no clue when/how to apply to take the SAT/ACT all those tests or even know how to apply to a university or when. (I could really use a class called "life" )

[Integral]

Originally Posted by ansar

I've never understood this.

Why is Junior year the most important year? Isn't Senior year your most important?

Junior year is hugely important for two reasons. Well, it's really a theme of reasons, centering around one thing: proving your academic worth to the admissions committe at the college you're applying to.

1. "Real" academic work (AP, IB, and advanced math/science/language courses) usually begins in junior year. So, you want to have the best possible grades in those classes so that you are more attractive as a college candidate. The first semester of senior year is important, but having a strong academic record junior year (especially in tough classes) will impress the admissions committee much more than an average junior year and a stellar senior fall semester.

2. Colleges never see second-semester senior year grades until well after they admit you. So, the only shot someone has at impressing the admissions committee, academically speaking, is junior year.

Integral

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I achieved what I thought I couldn't; I haven't started packing and I move out tomorrow afternoon. So, I achieved master procrastination. If that's an achievement.

[Ansar]

Ah, ok.

My brother, who is a junior this year, when should he apply to the universities he wishes to attend? Also, which test is necessary: SAT, ACT, or both?

[Irish Caesar]

Originally Posted by ansar

Ah, ok.

My brother, who is a junior this year, when should he apply to the universities he wishes to attend? Also, which test is necessary: SAT, ACT, or both?

Universities have different application deadlines, many have online applications which tell what is required and what the deadlines are.

Take the SAT in the spring of junior year. I think pretty much any American college will want the SAT, it has been my experience that taking SATII subject tests can only help you and that the ACT is not necessary, but, again, cannot hurt you.

The schools' individual applications will spell out what they want from you.

[Ansar]

Thanks, IrishCaesar!

[Integral]

Originally Posted by ansar

Oh, I don't mind at all!

I'm completely useless about life after High School. I mean, I know I want to go to college, and to which ones, but I have no clue when/how to apply to take the SAT/ACT all those tests or even know how to apply to a university or when. (I could really use a class called "life" )

May I suggest a rough timetable? I have no idea what grade you're in, but this may help.

Sophomore spring: Begin researching colleges, and pick up a review book for the SAT. The Princeton Review and Barrons are the best. Take one AP test if you can; if not, that's ok.

Sophomore-Junior summer: Work, study, do some volunteer community service, anything to build your profile.

Junior fall: keep looking at colleges. By November I had a list of 10-15 colleges that I was really interested in. Take the SAT or ACT once in the fall, probably the November or December test.

Junior spring: Keep your grades up! Take the other standardized test in the winter, say the January or February date. Whichever one you liked better, take again in April. If you're applying to top-20 schools, take the SAT II's in the late spring (May or June). Your goal is to be (nearly) completely done with testing by the end of Junior year. Personally, I took the SAT II's in my senior year--but I didn't plan well enough. ALso, try to do some college visits. Take AP tests; 1-3 should be fine.

Junior-Senior summer: Work, study, do some volunteer community service, anything to build your profile. Think about college admissions essays.

Senior fall: Finalize your list of colleges. I applied to 7; some do more, some less. It really depends on how strong you think your record is and what your interests are. If you're still not happy with your scores, take a standardized test again. Work hard on your college admissions essays.

September and October senior year: start hunting down teachers to get letters of recommendation. Choose teachers that know you well, perferrably ones where you did some stellar work. Begin working on the Common Application.

November senior year: Keep working on the common app. Don't blow off your classes, because colleges will see these grades.

December senior year: Keep working on the common app. Try to be done by December 15th; that way you have nearly half a month to revise it.

Remember to press "submit" on the common app by the end of December. One of my friends didn't, and now he's "taking a year off".

DEADLINES: Most college have a regular decision deadline between December 25 and January 5.

Senior spring: Relax! It's all over now. College admission decisions will come in late March/early April.


SUMMARY OF TESTING: One test (SAT or ACT) in junior fall, one in junior winter; whatever you liked better, take again late spring if not happy with the score.

SUMMARY OF AP: 1 sophomore year, 2-3 junior year, 2-4 senior year. That's straight from the Yale admission committee.

SUMMARY OF LETTERS OF REC: Most colleges want two: one from science/math, one from history/english. Give each teacher a copy of your transcript and, for english/history, a copy of the best paper you wrote for the class.

DISCLAIMER: ALL OF THIS IS STRICTLY IMO, OK?

Hope that helps a bit...

Integral

[Irish Caesar]

I would add to that:

Some colleges offer early admission or early action. It's worth applying to a couple of schools which will let you know as early as December whether they accept you, but be aware: this may be binding. Make sure you know if you are telling the schools that if accepted, you will attend. Unless it's the school you really want to go to (and even if it is!), you might want to have some more time to think it over in the event that they accept you. Plans can and do change between application and acceptance.

I did this non-binding early application and knew I was accepted to my top two schools before the application deadlines at any others. Saved me the hassle and expense of applying to any others, and had I not been accepted, it would have let me know that my application needed some work.