We have begun the second half of the school year, and most of us are either prepared or nowhere near prepared for what’s to come this semester. Most of us tend to feel frustrated, stressed, or even drained around this time because of the pressure surrounding the new year or new semester starting.

School can become frustrating fairly quickly if not organized due to work starting to pile up, start falling behind in classes, and grades may begin to slip. However, there are ways to combat these situations, such as simply making time for them. 

Yes, it may sound like a waste of time, though, it has proven to be effective for many teens to try to dedicate an hour or two towards school work or study in order to get things done. 

It may become rigorous for many of us to incorporate time towards schoolwork after school because we may have jobs and other school activities such as sports or even clubs. However, our school offers specific times for students to have the option to catch up with school, such as using your advisory time or going to tutorials. 

“I try to use whatever free class time I have at the end of each period to catch up with school work,” senior, Mayelin Gonzalez said. “Doing this every day keeps me from being stressed outside of school because I don’t have to worry about an assignment I didn’t finish since I already did it during class.” 

Maybe school isn’t the reason you are feeling stressed out. Maybe it’s work, friends, or life in general that feels stressful and it’s causing you to fall behind in school. These situations need to be dealt with because as soon as the conflict is ignored, it can start to stack up and can cause more stress. 

Finding a hobby can help let out those frustrating, pent-up emotions by taking time out of your day to do something you love and be in the moment with yourself. Perhaps, taking up a new sport, joining a club in or outside of school, or even trying to journal once a day can be a huge leap for your mental health to head in the right direction. 

Life in general can become difficult once things start to fall out of place, but you can take control of the little things such as making time for yourself and school. Our school offers many options to stay on top of your tasks and take on the new year strong.