In High School Musical, Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are shown to be juniors in high school. Their journey through the year is shown to be nothing but excitement between basketball championships, math competitions, and musical callbacks. While quite picturesque to think about, this depiction of the junior year seems to be a far cry from the actual reality. 

For many students, junior year is the time where the pressures of college and prepping for the future really set in. At the age of sixteen to seventeen, students are forced to make decisions that feel like they will last a lifetime. 

“I have taken classes focused on my intended major (nursing) such as high level science and math,” junior Mia Ford said. “I have also gone to a summer program and I am the publicity director of a club that promotes cancer awareness research and education.” 

Ford also spoke about how the pressure has taken a mental toll.

 “I’ve had to take a lot of time to do school work and take care of other responsibilities,” she said. “I don’t have any time to myself really, and I have been staying up later to get everything done. Really the only thing keeping me going is little moments of prayer and talking through it all with my close friends.”

Junior Audrey Evancho spoke on how her extensive college preparation has already affected her.

“It’s pretty taxing on me because I want to find a college that’s a good fit,” she said. “It feels like online shopping because you never really know what you’re going to get.”

According to the American Psychological Association, 80% of high school students report being stressed about school and academic achievement alone. Pair that with the stress of making decisions and prepping for your entire future – it’s clear why student anxiety rates are through the roof. 

Other juniors, such as Ryan Anderson, talked about how their preparation has included both prep for college and beyond.

“I’ve already set my goals towards the US Military Academy,” he said. “This means I’ve been training with a personal trainer to prepare myself for the intense physical requirements for the academy. I’ve also pursued many extracurriculars to boost my resume, which takes a huge toll on my time and sanity.” 

Junior Ankit Pamula talked about his personal experience balancing schoolwork, extracurriculars, and college prep.

“I have had to start preparing for the SAT, and that’s really stressful because I’ve had to balance that with other things, like the musical,” he said.

But Pamula also said he is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“There also is sort of some excitement for college because it’s a new environment and there is more variety on what I can do in the future,” Pamula added. “I’m excited to figure that out.”