HSHSP Ep 121: Why is Junior Year SO Important for High Schoolers?

This week on HSHSP Ep 121: Why is Junior Year SO Important for High Schoolers?

HSHSP Ep 121: Why is Junior Year SO Important for High Schoolers?

Junior year is a VERY important year for homeschool high schoolers. Whether they are college bound or career bound, there are some important goals for junior year.

Remember, there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school. However, homeschooling parents must face the fact their teens face a pivotal year in 11th grade. A big year. A really big year.

Stressed already?

Take a couple of deep breaths
Pray!

Okay, let us calmly explain why junior year is such a big deal for non-college-bound teens and college-bound teens. 😉

Non-college-bound teens

During 9th and 10th grade high schoolers tend to work on discovering their strengths and weaknesses and defining some interests. By junior year, career-bound teens need to:

Develop those strengths and start exploring the skills needed to move into a career
Catch up the subjects that are behind
Build solid life skills and preparation (including necessary networking skills)

If they are caught up as well as life and career aware, career-bound homeschool high schoolers will have senior year mostly free for serious apprenticeships or internships so they graduate ready to work in a skilled area.

If your 11th grader is not sure about career choices, look at a good Career Exploration curriculum and see if you can arrange some shadowing experiences.

For subjects teens are straggling:

Find a tutor
Find a remedial curriculum
Listen to this episode for LOTS of ideas and encouragement

College-bound teens

Junior year is the FINAL year that college admissions advisors will view as completed on the high school transcript. When teens apply to college they will only be able to show what they are studying. This is the year that everything than needs to look powerful, looks powerful.

Begin college search discussions
- What are teens and parents both expecting and willing to contribute financially
- What types of colleges will meet your teens academic, financial, career-goal needs as well as healthy-atmosphere needs
- Check out this post for college search help
Make sure enough Career Exploration has been done if teens need help choosing college major
- If you need help, choosing college majors with your teens, contact Vicki at VickiTillmanCoaching.com and/or visit 7SistersHomeschool.com for Career Exploration courses.
Set expectations that your teens will work hard during junior year
- Tell teens: Wear yourself out academically and get enough sparkle on the transcript (leveling up and sparkle courses)
Build the extracurriculars, service and competitions
Check on life skills
Have enough off-the-clock fun and rest to stay healthy and avoid burnout
- High performing teens often need a time audit so that they can see their life rhythms and tweak their schedules when things get off balance. Time audits are helpful for this kind of life-skills project (good for moms, too).