So, now that you know EVERYONE deals with stress, the question that presents itself is:
               
How do I deal with it?

I've found over the past four years that I have three main ways of reducing school-induced stress. These won't work for everyone, but it's how I've managed to stay sane despite the incredible work load I deal with.

1. Figure out what is causing you the most stress, and tackle it a little bit at a time. Whether it be a project, college apps, or studying for tests, breaking stuff up works wonders. Sit down with a calendar or a sheet of paper, write EVERYTHING you have to do, then number it by priority. Then, take the top three of those and break them down over a week. This accomplishes two main things: it keeps you from feeling overwhelmed at the size of a major assignment and helps you eliminate procrastination.

2. Find something, NOT SCHOOL RELATED, to do in your free time. Now, don't get me wrong: if you want to spend your free time researching historical events because that's what makes your blood rush, go for it. But for me, I find that doing something to take away from school really helps me relax. Go for a walk, go shopping, play ten hours of Minecraft, read a book. Do something that is a change of pace from every day events. This will give you a chance to breathe, take a step back, and just enjoy some of your time.

3. Talk to someone. This is probably the hardest out of all of these. I hate burdening people with my problems, so I'm the kind of person to just brood over anything that's bothering me, but getting something off your chest does wonders for the soul. Look for a friend or sibling who will put up with a vent session. Go for a coffee, and let loose the frustrations! If you're like me and have a hard time telling other people your problems, start a journal. Journaling can be like a conversation, but no one else has to know anything you say. Or, if you want to be really cool, you can even start a blog!

There are so many other ways to reduce stress, and if you're feeling the pressure, try something. It's better to go on a fifteen minute walk than to let something stir inside of you. Stress sucks, as we've established, and it is a necessary evil of our lives, but it can be dealt with!

And if none of these sound interesting to you, my personal favorite way to deal with stress: naptime!

   Well, we're well into the school year. Schedule changes are long since settled, homework loads are starting to regulate, and grades are starting to roll in. Basically, school is back to normal. For many students, myself included, school creates stress. This is completely understandable; we have teacher/parent expectations to uphold, social needs to fill, and sleep quotas to meet.
   I'd think most people would agree stress sucks. It isn't unique to school, employees have bosses to please, deadlines to meet, adults have bills to pay, etc. But personally, I believe that it falls short on adults the stress that we deal with on a day to day basis.
   For example, my day starts at 5:30. I'm at school by 6:30, normally reviewing notes, literature, or working on assignments while I wait for the first bell to ring. English starts, we complete a short classwork assignment, practice grammar, discuss literature, and take notes. Quiz on Tuesday, test Friday. The bell rings, second hour class begins. We go over notes, hold a class discussion, and try to wrap our minds our knowledge issues. Essay due Monday. Third period, history. Notes out before the bell rings, reviewing, preparing to fight for required class participation points in a class of thirty students. Take notes, and make sure to write anything that could be on an essay test. Relate it to the syllabus. IA Sources due Friday. Essay test Monday. Pop quiz in the near future. Fourth hour: Spanish. Round robin homework review, grammar lesson, class discussion. Daily homework, quiz Thursday, project due Monday. Lunch, three more classes with more tests, quizzes, and homework.
   Not to mention, don't forget to work on your college applications, look for scholarships, participate in extracurricular activities, volunteer, keep a job, sleep, keep up a hobby, and hey, remember you have those exams at the end of the year, better start studying now.
   I'm in no way complaining, and I understand my course selections probably account for the majority of the work I do, but this is just an example of a day at school. Seven hours spent at school, plus anywhere from one to five hours of homework every day, but school is a major cause of stress.
   If you're dealing with stress caused by school, believe me, you are not alone. Everyone feels the pressure, no matter how much it seems they don't, and everyone is trying to work through it. My next couple of blog posts will deal with ways to manage stress, tips for developing (and sticking to) a schedule, focusing, and keeping up with schoolwork. I hope they help!