You have a unit test today, the SAT this Saturday, basketball tryouts next week, and office hours that you need to attend because you are not earning the grades that you want. These are just a few aspects of stress that school life places on students. Life outside of school also has many responsibilities. Between work, taking care of younger siblings, and dealing with relationship problems, life is busy and stress is the result. It affects everything from personality to morale to the people around you. Knowing how to deal with stress is essential to surviving high school.

Time Management

If you have a lot on your plate, such as extracurriculars, homework, and test prep, make sure you manage your time appropriately. Have a schedule where you can organize what times you want to study for tests and do homework, and work around practices and appointments.

Seniors Anthony Tse and George Bermudez say that they are getting too much homework. Tse has an internship at the Museum of Natural History every Monday and Wednesday of this semester. He also has a job that he attends every Tuesday, along with completing academic work. On average, Tse relies on four hours of sleep before he wakes up and goes to school. He tries to balance his social life by hanging out with friends on Fridays, but he feels this is not enough. Likewise, Bermudez copes with both sports training and academics, but he claims to get enough sleep with the exception of one day, when he chooses to stay up late to finish an entire week’s homework for his AP classes.

Health

It’s important to make sure you are taking care of yourself. You are a person, not a machine. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating regularly, and staying active. You have to be a little selfish sometimes, and be sure that you are doing well health wise.

Seniors Henry Popovic and Jack Micoli struggle to get their homework and projects completed on time. Popovic gets between two and five hours of sleep on weekdays, but gets eight to twelve hours on weekends. Micoli describes himself as a rather happy person that does not usually get stressed. Though he gets enough sleep, he risks a lower grade in some classes by doing less homework when he does feel stressed, claiming that “happiness is greater than homework.”

Venting/Talking it Out

Have a person that can be your personal therapist. Make sure it is a person you can rely on as well as someone who will be honest with you, not just tell you things that you want to hear. Having a person that will talk to you and listen to your problems will help you stay calm and accomplish more.

Senior Bridget Duggan said that she once had an AP Psychology test, a Calculus test, and a Government presentation all on the same day. She wishes teachers would collaborate to figure out a homework schedule that does not overlap with others.

These are a few tips to deal with stress. Refer to these, and you will be back on top of your game in no time.