Stressed to the Max
Trying to balance school work, social life, work, and not completely messing your sleep schedule up is nearly impossible when you are a teenager. Teenagers can only pick two out of those four; leaving the others something you just have to live without. Managing, or at least trying to manage, all four of these factors is what causes stress to overwhelm teenagers. All four of these factors lead to the same outcome, stress. Struggling to keep straight A's when you are taking all Advancement Placement classes is one of the biggest contributors to my sky-high stress level. Attending school for eight hours out of the day, then coming home only to complete three more hours of homework is quite a load. But hey, the teachers are "Preparing us for college." Grades are imperative to me, and I know for other students they seem unnecessary. One of the main reasons I strive for all A's is because I like feeling intelligent. Knowing that I made a good grade on a test makes me feel successful. The downside of striving for all A's is all of the pressure and the competitiveness; especially in my grade level.
All of my time consists of dance practices two times a week, various club meetings, all the loads of homework, and, if I am lucky, I can spend a little time watching T.V. or reading a book. I do have all the latest social media accounts; however none of that matters if you do not have the time to get on them. I spend about 50% of my free time doing volunteer work. I am a part of various non-profit organizations such as The March of Dimes Youth Council, Walnut Ridge Key Club and Circle of Friends just to name a few. These clubs typically meet either through the week or on weekends. When we are not meeting, we spend individual time spreading awareness about the organization and planning annual fundraisers. If you count that as a social life, then yes I would say I have an unusual one. With so many different activities on my plate, I tend to become overwhelmed with stress and exhaustion.
Work is a big contributor to stress among teenagers. Teenagers who are employed during the school year have an additional amount of responsibility. Trying to find twenty extra hours during an average school week is hard enough for me, and I do not have a job. I cannot and would not be able to handle the stress load with working, trying to keep my grades up, sleep, and having the slightest bit of a social life. The bad thing about