by Brad McClellan

If you’re an underclassmen and you’re reading this, here’s a warning about your junior year. It will be very busy.

So far, this year has been the busiest of my life. I have school, extracurricular activities, a job, I have been studying for my ACT’s, maintaining a 3.9 in school, trying to up my RAI score for college and I am also trying to maintain relationships with friends. On average, I have around 20 hours at home every week, and about half of those are spent doing what I like to do.

I have been told that your junior year is the most important of all years in high school. I would definitely agree with this. It is the year that colleges look at most. This is why this year I am trying so hard to prosper academically. I have been going to a lot of college fairs, and I have looked into doing some college visits. I have looked at a few colleges already. I am thinking about double majoring in International Relations and Foreign Policy. I’ve had my eyes on some colleges, a few being the University of Southern California, Drake University and if I get a high enough score on my ACT, I might try to be nominated for the Air Force Academy.

I am not completely sure on what I want to do yet. I am interested in current events and law, so I have thought about International Relations. However, I am somewhat hesitant to enter the field. It can be hard to get a decent job in that area. My dream job is having a seat on the United Nations, but I am not blind to the fact that this is unlikely.

Another thing that I might be interested in doing is the military. The idea of helping other people in foreign environments appeals to me in multiple ways. One reason is that I can change lives of people who are less fortunate. Another reason is that I would love to serve my country and spread liberty and freedom to people of communist nations.

I understand that there is more to life than just education, but what drives me is my ability to learn and understand subjects that are not often discussed without having a high education in the art of foreign relations. I only have one life to do what I want, and I need to do what I want, so that when I am dying, I don’t regret anything. I am not afraid of death. In fact, I see that death drives life. The thought of limited days resides in all of our minds somewhere. We all need to do what makes us happy in the end, so whatever you do, you will look back on it happily.