They say junior year of high school is the most important year.
With that said, some juniors choose lighter course loads to balance extracurriculars and personal time, and others take more rigorous schedules that demand greater commitment. Here are a couple of schedules one can put together based on what may be the easiest and the hardest classes a junior can have. This schedule is based on a student being a member of the Law, Justice and Ethics (LJE) Pathway.
For those who want to take the easy way out, this is what we think is the easiest schedule a junior could put together:
Core Classes
English 3 – Mr. Martinez: This class is easy because it is a regular English class. Mr. Martinez is a very laid-back teacher; he’s always going over answers, and his class goes by like a breeze. Ironically, Mr. Martinez also teaches one of the hardest classes, which is AP English. However, if you don’t want to take AP and want the path of least resistance, Mr. Martinez is the way to go.
Consumer Math – Mr. Gonzalez: This class is only offered to those who struggle with math skills, but it is still an easy class to get past. Mr. Gonzalez is the teacher for this class; he is seen as straightforward. He writes notes on the boards for students to copy down, and he writes them while he explains what he wants students to do. This is the lowest level of math you can take as a junior, which makes it the easiest.
Earth and Space – Mrs. De Large: Earth and Space is a class usually reserved for sophomores; however, you can still take it as a junior if you really need to. In this class, you learn about the tectonic plates and the many stars in the universe. Mrs. De Large is the teacher for this class, and she is very energetic and outgoing. She is very close with all her students, and she is a great teacher. Just make sure to keep your phone out of phone jail.
U.S. History – Mr. Williams: This class is not necessarily different from other U.S. History classes, but the teacher most definitely is. With a chill guy like Mr. Williams, you will excel in History. Mr. Williams always gives booklets to memorize answers for any upcoming tests and even finals.
Electives/Pathway Class
Teachers Assistant (TA) – Mr. Marquez: Want to be a TA, but not any TA work to do? This class doesn’t need explaining; as long as you sit there and don’t interrupt, you will pass. Mr. Marquez is probably one of the most outgoing teachers at Granite Hills. Many students see him as their favorite teacher. He doesn’t like asking his TAs to do much. “My TAs are the most blessed TAs on campus,” Marquez said.
Photography/GTV – Mr. Flores: Come on, we all know how to take a picture. It’s as easy as point and shoot. Photography is another one of the easiest classes; from taking pictures of things to editing them, there’s no way you can fail this class unless you really don’t try. Mr. Flores is the photographer on campus, and he’s pretty good at it … sometimes. He is also the teacher for GTV, which is another great class for students to take if they want an easy class; all you have to do is record videos. Flores is also a great guy; he’s very cool and has a chill vibe.
Pathway Class LJE – Mr. Holt: The LJE pathway allows students to choose the path they want to take, whether it is public safety or civil law. In this case, we are on the public safety path. Mr. Holt is a former police officer, so don’t get on his bad side. He teaches the Crime Scene Investigation class, and he is pretty alright at it. Mr. Holt is a very chill and laid-back teacher … sometimes. Mr. Holt says that the easiest part of his class is the tests because he allows students to have a note card or use their notebooks.
And now for those type-A personalities who want to challenge themselves, here is the hardest schedule you could put together for your junior year:
Core Classes
AP English – Mr. Martinez: AP English is definitely one of the hardest English classes here at Granite Hills. It requires a lot of rhetorical thinking skills and helps prepare students for the AP Exam sometime around May. Again, Mr. Martinez is the teacher for this class, and he is a very chill guy. There’s something to be said about a teacher labeled as both difficult and easy.
AP U.S History – Mrs. Navarro: This class is honestly one of the hardest classes because you transition from doing Porterville College work one semester to learning AP the second semester. The first semester is taught by a college professor, with the second semester being taught by Mrs. Navarro. Mrs. Navarro is a good teacher and creates a fun teaching environment for her students.
Pre-Calculus – Mr. Vigil: Pre-Calculus is a math class that prepares students for AP Calculus if they want to pursue further math. This class is seen as difficult for most students because it teaches a lot of difficult concepts. Mr. Vigil is seen as a tough teacher because he is passionate about math. However, students do benefit from him as a teacher because he provides a lot of help and extends some assignments for students. Just don’t get him off his strict timeline.
AP Chemistry – Ms. Schieler: AP Chemistry is a class that I avoided due to its complexity. It is ranked as one of the lowest passing AP exams because of the number of topics/elements you must remember. Ms. Schieler is a great teacher with many students who love her. She is always there to help students when they need it and creates a very fun and exciting environment. Alejandro Valencia says that AP Chemistry requires you to remember many concepts. Valencia describes Ms. Schieler as an amazing teacher and one who will work with you until you understand the subject. A runner-up for the hardest science class you could take is Physics with Ms. Thomason.
Electives/Pathway Class
AP Psychology – Mrs. Ross: AP Psychology is the study of the mind and human behavior. It also prepares students for the AP Exam around May. Mrs. Ross is seen as an amazing teacher because she is understanding and very chill. She isn’t too difficult as long as you do your work, but it can get difficult at times. Marisol Zamarripa says you just need to pay attention, take notes, and lock in. Zamarripa describes Mrs. Ross as understanding, very chill, and a “goated” teacher.
Spanish 3 AP – Mrs. Lewis: Spanish 3 AP is a class for Spanish students to take or even those who have been learning Spanish over the years. In this class, you are learning more difficult and advanced Spanish skills like writing, speaking, listening, etc. This class also moves at a faster and more difficult pace. Mrs. Lewis is the teacher for this class. Mrs. Lewis is seen as another chill teacher. She is very laidback, like many of the teachers at Granite Hills. She does want her kids to succeed, so she does show some discipline.
Pathway Class LJE – Mrs. Kisling: Again, the LJE Pathway allows students to choose the path they want to take, whether it is public safety or civil law. In this case, we are now on the civil law path. Mrs. Kisling is the teacher for this class. You learn many things about civil law and many other things about lawyers, etc. Students see Mrs. Kisling as a positive and nice teacher who can be tough from time to time.
