Everyone is told that junior year is the most stressful year of high school, and nobody looks forward to their junior year. This is because this year matters the most with the amount of AP classes that are available and because at the end of the year juniors take the ACT. This is a big deal when it comes to applying for scholarships and college. Even though it causes many students stress, there are resources that have been preparing the students all year.
“I think our biggest thing we have at Elkhorn High is just our core curriculum, the curriculum that we have in place, like the assessments that we have in place that help kind of prepare our students for the test,” assistant principal Mr. Givens said.
Most teachers work in some ACT practice through junior year in order to prepare their students for the real ACT in April. This is the only practice most juniors undergo.
“I think it pretty much is a lot of stuff we do in classes that ACT style, so you get a lot of practice that way,” junior Beau Twohig said.
However, some students are putting in more practice to help them be more prepared for the exam. It really depends on how much practice each individual thinks they need to be the most prepared.
“I am doing my Naviance questions in class and I have the ACT app and do some stuff on there,” junior Paige VanWagoner said.
Practicing questions does help students prepare for the test, however that is only one of the two major things students should take part in for being ready for the test.
“I think the difference between just kind of showing up and taking it versus being mentally ready, maybe even physically ready by getting a good night’s sleep, things like that,” Givens said.
If a student does not get their target score for the ACT they can still retake it, but it will not be paid for this time. However, in the long run it might benefit students when it comes to scholarships.
“If I don’t reach my target score, I will probably take it multiple times to make sure I get as many scholarships as I can,” Twohig said.
Going through practice and getting a good night’s sleep the night before the ACT will help students be the most prepared and successful.
