High school is a tough time for pretty much everyone and for good reason. High school is a super stressful time dealing with school, social life, teenager stuff, mental health and so much more. Everyone has their own issues and there isn’t one specific thing anyone can say to make those things disappear, but there are some things like dealing with time management that can help relieve a little stress.

One of the biggest things that high schools are dealing with is overall stress. My first tip is time management. I know we’ve all heard it before, but it truly is the best thing to help you. Procrastination is one of the most common things and it’s super hard to escape. The thoughts of “I’ll do it later” and “I don’t feel like doing it now” are so hard to get over, so that’s why planning things out could really help. Planners are really not for everyone; I mean it’s another thing for you to do but having a space to write down when to do something is a good idea. I also think a really important thing is prioritizing, and that’s not something you have to write down. Let’s say you have a major test due in 3 days and a minor SWYK due in 2 days; if that test is more important, maybe you should do that first. Also taking a break is needed because if you do it all at once, then you’re just going to fry your brain. But a little side note” sometimes procrastination is healthy because even though you may be cramming, you’re getting it done.

Another tip is getting involved. This can be hard especially with schoolwork, but getting involved, joining clubs, and hanging out with friends is so important. First, I would say that joining clubs is a great way to start. This will allow you to make friends, meet people you might not normally, and have something to do. To me at least, staying after school, seeing different parts of the school, and walking in the hallways when it’s not jam packed is really cool. It’s a hard thing because most of the clubs are started already and for some people none of the clubs may jump out at them, but what’s the worst that’s gonna happen? Why not try it? https://towsonhs.bcps.org/clubs___organizations is the link to all the different clubs Towson has to offer. If not this year, maybe next! Also trying to see your friends is important; high school isn’t all about grades! It’s also about the experience.

Speaking of grades, my next tip is putting in the effort to do your best. Believe it or not, our teachers actually want us to succeed. If you prioritized something over another and explain that to your teacher, most of the time they can accommodate you. If you are asking your teacher for them to do something, you may have to bend to fit them but getting that better grade could be worth it. So, it’s important to communicate with your teacher, and hopefully they understand you have 7 other classes and can do their best to help you. Let’s say you get a D on a SWYK because you accidentally clicked the wrong answer while rushing to get 3 other things done and you don’t tell them. How are they supposed to know? Also, it’s okay to ask questions; if you don’t get something in class the teacher, classmates, friends, and tutors can always help you.

This one is a bit random, but plan something to look forward to. Let’s say on Monday you decide to go to dinner with your friends on Saturday; then the rest of the week you have something to look forward to, a countdown until that one thing. This can be super helpful for getting through the week. During the beginning of the week, the weekend seems so far away and simply waiting till Saturday might not be enough. If you’re waiting till Saturday AND going to dinner that could make the week go faster. Plus, it’s always fun hanging out with your friends.

My last tip is grounding yourself. In the moment it is SO easy to get caught up overthinking something, a bad grade, drama with a friend, not understanding your math assignment, and when you start overthinking any of those things it can really work you up. Grounding yourself is something thing to do to get you back in the moment and out of your head. You notice your surroundings, what you are feeling, smelling, tasting, hearing, seeing. Calm yourself, take deep breaths, feel your feet on the surface and simply just focus back into the moment and try to focus back into what is directly happening. This isn’t going to solve any of those problems but it’s great to help yourself refocus and gather yourself.