This time of year, most high school students find themselves in more and more stressful situations.
Now, second semester classes are in full swing. For some students, that may be three or four academic classes. Each one of those classes comes with homework, assignments, quizzes, tests and projects. Teachers are scheduling their classes so that their chapters or units end before spring break.
All of this easily leads to this being one of the most stressful times of the school year for students.
“Students commonly panic at this time of the year due to the fact that exams are approaching and teachers are beginning to cram for spring break,” says Marisa Wood, grade 12 Carihi student.
With all of this work piling up, it can be sometimes difficult to manage stress.
“I find that playing hockey and relaxing can sometimes help me with my stress,” says Curtis Palmer. “It’s hard to find time to relax, but when I do, it helps clear my mind.”
Each student may find a different strategy works better for them, for Wood, she finds that remaining positive yet realistic is a good place to start.
“If I find myself stressing about school, I try to manage my time appropriately to ensure that my work gets completed efficiently without rushing through it,” Wood says.
But Grade 12 student Aleata Vanstone says, “Sometimes the stress becomes too much, and you break down. The best thing for my friends and I to do, is to take a break before things become too much to handle. After we feel refreshed and a lot less stressed.”
This is a stressful and difficult time of year, students should make it a priority to do things in order to keep their stress at healthy and manageable levels, otherwise, it will do more harm in the long run.