Academic Pressure

For many teens, school is tough. Some students worry about getting enough credits to graduate high school. Others obsess about getting a 4.0 GPA and admittance to a top university. Academic stress can derive from a desire for perfection, parental pressure, sports commitments or a heavy class load. Nervous breakdowns, panic attacks, burnouts and depression are on the rise among teens and young adults.

No matter the goals or situations, just about everyone struggles with a tremendous amount of stress and pressure. Your first line of defense is a strong support network. Choose friends who are positive and supportive and who will help you stay upbeat and maintain perspective during stressful times.

Managing Pressure

Many teens struggle to manage time well and tend to procrastinate, which leads to pressure. The cure requires dedication and commitment.

When you watch TV, play video games or surf the web, set a timer for 30 minutes. Setting time limits between productive activities, such as studying, and recreational activities, such as video games, will help break your daily tasks into more manageable chunks. This will prevent rushing to complete assignments at the eleventh hour.

Here are other healthy ways to deal with academic pressure:

• Don’t judge yourself by your friends’ goals and achievements. Set your own goals and be proud of your own hard work.
• Get assignments from your teachers early for those days when you know you won’t have sufficient homework time.
• If you don’t feel motivated by a subject, arrange a study group. Reward yourself after completing every section.
• If you know you have a big game coming up that requires long practices, work ahead.
• Make sure you maintain good sleeping and eating habits and, from time to time, go out for a run, a ride on your bike or other exercise. Movement helps alleviate stress.
• Work at a nearby café or library if your home environment is too distracting.

Cheating

Some students just want to take the easy way out and cheat. They may have after-school jobs to support their family or themselves, which carries a higher priority for them than schoolwork. For others, excelling in sports may be a higher priority than school.

Still others may cheat to make up for their lack of academic motivation or to live up to standards set up by older siblings or parents. Some students may simply stay up late doing non-school activities and rely on cheating when their time runs out.

Cheating doesn’t make you a smarter or better person. Remember that cheating is never the right thing to do, and it will often worsen your situation rather than making it better. If you set achievable goals, study hard and get outside help as needed, you can maintain your integrity and succeed academically without cheating.

Plus, if you’re caught cheating, your teachers’ trust in you  — and, thus, your college recommendation letters  — will suffer.