The second semester on any level can be a stressful time of year. Tests, graduation plans, prom…not only are the academic problems eating away at you, but also add in social life, jobs, money needs and parking issues and you have a recipe for disaster.
Before you drink poison or drive your car around the orange cones and into oncoming traffic, stop and take a breath. It doesn’t have to be that way. Stop, think and take one thing at a time. Reorganize the way you do things. A few simple tweeks can make your life easier.
Take academics for instance. One of the major problems is finding the time to actually study like you need to to make the grades you need. Re-access your study time and procedures. When you get home, set a time where you study for a class or test with no distractions. We’ve heard it for years, do we actually do it. Limited distractions can actually help most students. Turn off the television and the music so you can concentrate.
If you failed for the semester like almost 18 percent of students at the high school did, take every class seriously. Find out what you need to do to pass for the year. If that isn’t possible, then salvage this semester, so taking it over again will only involve one semester and not two.
If you’re worried about prom preparation, calm down. Prom is a fun social event, not a college entrance exam. Nothing is riding on your hair, your nails or your outfit. You don’t have to have a date. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars. Don’t worry about who hasn’t asked you or whom you should ask. If there is someone on your mind, ask them. If there isn’t or you don’t get asked, don’t worry about it. Just go with your friends.
If graduation is the reason for the stress, something is wrong. Graduation should be the most exciting moment in your high school career. You get to leave this place and move on into bigger, better things. Take each obstacle one at a time and the cap and gown will eventually come your way.
Stressing out only makes you unhealthy; you could stress out to the point where your grades drop and you don’t get to graduate with the rest of the senior class.
Stop and make a list of what you need to get done each week or even each day so you aren’t part of the 18 percent. If you are part of the 18 percent, start a list of the things that will change that statistic. For example: go to the math or science tutorials offered during the week. Listen in class instead of texting or writing notes. Stop doing your math in English. Do your homework at home. When a teacher gives you a study sheet, chances are that information will be on the test.
Put yourself on a “schedule diet.” Get your parents to hide your gaming consoles if they get in the way of getting your work done. If your classes seem overwhelming, break them down into smaller pieces and tackle things one at a time.
The saying is that “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither can stress disappear with this advice, but maybe it can be worked into manageable chunks that don’t overwhelm you. We hope these tips will help you live through your second semester.