Moving up a grade at any time is difficult and each comes with its own set of worries and circumstances, but of all the grades, the hardest transition is from being an underclassmen to becoming a responsible, near-adult upperclassmen.

Once you become a junior you are opened up to a world of new opportunities. You can audition for Mustang Television, take AP classes for possible college credit, apply for work release, and so much more. You will fit in at school with ease and begin to take on leadership positions in all your extracurricular activities. As an upperclassman, you have the ability to drive yourself to and from school without having to sit on a dingy bus or wait in the car rider line for your ride to show up when it’s pouring rain, ridiculously cold, or overwhelmingly hot.

However, not all changes are positives; as the years pass by until graduation, you become more and more responsible for your own actions.

As an upperclassman, the ACT and SAT become a primary focus in your life. Raising your score just a few points becomes something that your whole future depends on. The decisions you make as an upperclassman will affect the rest of your life. How much will college cost? Where will you go? Will you take out student loans? What will you major in?

As a junior/senior, you will be asked all these questions and more, and soon you’ll feel like you have control over everything. You’ll learn to manage a bank account, cook something besides ramen and frozen pizza (well, hopefully), apply for a job, clean your own house and do your own laundry, and live life without anybody else supporting you. All these life skills you learn in your upperclassmen years will leave you feeling like you run the world.

As an upperclassman, you truly are transported to a different state of mind, but don’t get too cocky because soon enough… You’ll be a freshman all over again.