Your alarm clock buzzes, and you wake up from a sound sleep. You open your eyes; you’re immediately hit with a million different thoughts.
You must shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, and be at school by 7:15 A.M. so you do not get marked late. There is barely time to breathe every morning as your day is immediately busy.
Welcome to being a high school student.
High schoolers are pushed and expected to complete an enormous amount of tasks in an impossible amount of time.
Showing up to class on time, getting good grades, dealing with the high expectations of teachers, navigating high school drama, doing your homework, and studying for tests are all only a few of the daily tasks of high schoolers.
There are clubs and activities after school. Students may also have jobs with long hours on top of all of that.
¨My whole day is always the same. I wake up at 5:30 a.m. and get ready for school. It’s incredibly taxing, to be honest,¨ said Tilda Sathapornwongkul, 12.
According to Gitnux Blog, 51% of US teens are told at least once a month that they appear stressed or burnt out. With an average stress level of 5.8 out of 10 during the school year, it’s no wonder why.
The issue is a lack of balance. Going 100 miles per hour leaves you constantly feeling worn out. Yet you are still expected to move at the same pace first thing the next day.
Time management and sleep are the biggest factors. According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, teenagers snag an average of 7 and 7 ¼ hours of sleep. However, Nationwide Children’s Hospital says teens actually benefit from 9 to 9 ½ hours of sleep.
¨I feel stressed out a lot. It’s hard waking up early and school feels very long. It’s very tiring,” said Gabby Thompson, 12.
The fact is, that high school students are overwhelmed by school. However, there are ways to circumvent these issues.
The key to managing being a successful high school student is prioritizing what’s important to you and just trying your best every day, even if your best means you don’t get everything done.
Life will get in the way and you will have days where you don’t get enough sleep or you forget to do a homework assignment. Or, you don’t have enough time to do it all physically. That’s life though, it happens, and that is alright.
¨I try to plan things out, but sometimes I’m so busy that I completely forget to do something. Unfortunately, you can’t remember everything,¨ said Madison Cottle, 12.
Make a checklist of your day. Schedule everything you need to get done and make everything you do a habit. Do you want to get good grades? You have to study. Do you want to have a successful sports season? You have to be at practice. Turning studying and practice into a habit will reduce stress over time and make your life feel more organized.
Avoid procrastination. It is easy to put things off. Being lazy has gotten nobody anywhere in life. Former Basketball Hall Of Famer, Jerry West, says, ¨You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.¨
Make sure to take time to have moments to relax. It’s so easy to get stuck in the mindset of ‘I have to do this or I have to do that’ and just never stop. Burnout is a huge issue in high school students. The key is to prevent that from dragging you down by giving yourself time to cool down.
There is no perfect system for balancing everything. What works for one student may not work for another. High School students are young and still learning.
What everyone can do is try. Try to get 8 hours of sleep, try to get assignments turned in on time, and try to use weekends wisely to rest.
Always remember there are people around you who understand that feeling. Highschool goes by quickly so make sure to enjoy it as much as possible–or at least, try.
