Academics

I had been told since sophomore year that junior year would be the most difficult year to manage, at least in terms of workload.  I don't know how this was decided, but I only wish it was true for me.  Starting this year has been rougher than any before, and not just in one area. 

Compared to my junior year, I now have easily twice the work and thrice the stress.  Junior year, I had one AP class and a math class that I had already passed.  This year, I have three AP classes and Honors Spanish to balance.  This alone is quite a handful, but this would be easily manageable if I didn't have to work on Government online as well, which is vastly different from online classes that I have taken in the past.  Apart from actual school work, I must also work through my Capstone project, study for the SAT Subject Tests, and finalize my paperwork and essay to become a National Merit Finalist.  As a result of this, I am wildly behind on my online class and scrambling to keep up with the rest.

This is certainly not aided by recent events in my personal life.  Since my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer in my seventh year, we have been forced to deal with death constantly.  Grandpa didn't last more than three months.  My grandma was found to have cancer as well, and my great grandma also passed away that year.  In my sophomore year, my other grandma was diagnosed, and wasn't expected to last more than a half year or so.  She made it this far, but given that her cancer has returned worse and several other members of my family have passed away since then, no one expects her to last long.  Certainly not until my graduation.

It's inherently unprofessional to reveal aspects of my personal life to others, but I am unable to manage all of my work without some help.  I suppose it's fair to assume that I am capable, considering what I have achieved, but I don't think anyone would assume that I'd never need any assistance.  Everyone has their own issues.