Tips for handling 'senior stress'

September 14, 2010|By DEVON JACOBS / Pulse correspondent

Photo illustration,

"Your senior year should be your hardest year."

That's what I was told by a teacher at Washington County Technical School, where I'm a high school senior.

For most seniors, this is in fact, true. Many seniors, including myself, take on the responsibilities of a job, Advanced Placement classes and some even take college courses. The students can be highly overwhelmed by the amount of schoolwork they are expected to complete by their graduation day.

Ironically enough, my "senior stress" caused the delay of this very article. The responsibilities begin to pile up and can cause unnecessary stress. Taking a day off from your studies by just sitting outside can not only improve your mood, but also your productiveness. Finding time to relax is important and if you don't take at least an hour a day, you could crash.

Don't wait to finish your tasks because the earlier you start, the earlier you finish. Even something like getting your senior photos taken ahead of time might help relieve the workload.

Procrastination is a battle most people have to fight. Kick the habit by writing down everything you need to do and when you need to do it. Finding the proper motivation can help move you along at a good pace.

Grade point averages can attribute to "senior stress." Classes can be difficult and those grades can be worrisome. Stop by and ask the teacher for help and/or extra credit can help boost some of those grades.

Studying is important as well. If you don't study, how can you learn the material? Allnighters are bad because too much information is crammed too fast. Be sure to take your time and continually study by taking an hour or less a day for each different subject.

SATs, ACTs and other tests can cause a migraine just thinking about them. Study ahead of time and make sure you have covered all the material. Stress can be relieved, and you might just boost your confidence.

Be careful not to overwork yourself. If you are in too much of a rush, there might be a chance that the information you were trying so hard to learn will be forgotten by the time the test comes around.

From experience, I have learned to get things done early, take my time and follow it all the way through. Things can pile up quickly if not dealt with right away.

"Senior stress" is only there if it is allowed. Maybe "your senior year should be your hardest year," but make sure you don't over-do it. Know what's going on and be sure to get things done.

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