Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or excited? This mixture of emotions may flood your mind for the next three months as you prepare to enter high school, an important chapter in your life. High school includes exams, choosing a college, and figuring out what to do with your life, all three of which can be major stressors. Teens go from running around at recess with light homework, to cramming every assignment in, sometimes at the last possible second. There is no doubt that high school is a very high-pressure time in life. In high school, students are often stressed about the upcoming years, the thought that everything matters for college, Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT), and more. High school is overwhelming for many, especially for the incoming freshmen. Brynn Ferrera, an eighth grader at Edison Intermediate School (EIS) shared, “It makes me nervous that I’m growing up so fast, but I’m excited to begin a fresh chapter in my life.”
Additionally, Mia Esposito, an eighth grader at EIS stated, “I’m very stressed out, it makes me more nervous than excited for my high school experience.”
Moreover, 75% of high school students report experiencing increased stress, boredom, anger, or sadness in school. Around 50% of middle schoolers constantly feel stress due to schoolwork. This dramatic 25% increase of stress shows how hefty the middle school to high school transitions can be on teenagers. On a 10-point scale, adult stress levels average three point eight where teens rate their stress at five point eight. It can be very challenging to manage this immense amount of stress. Naomi Meyers, an eighth grader at EIS has a very smart way of managing stress. She explained, “I am going to do it by scheduling and using a planner to organize my work.”
Equally important, Lexie Beke, an eighth grader explained a way that would help her manage high school stress. She stated, “Keeping up with my school work and not procrastinating.”
Everyone manages time and stress differently but between school, homework, after school activities, friends, sleep, and sports, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed. Time management is key to saving you from stress and can help you balance your home and work life all while enjoying it! Time management is a habit, so with practice you can master it! It is best to start freshman year of high school to get into a good routine with time management skills.
On top of that, although high school can be very stressful, with proper education eighth graders can be fully prepared for the arduous upcoming years. Vivienne Spatz, an eighth grader at EIS declared,”I do think I am ready for high school, but it is definitely stressful because nothing really matters in middle school, so it is a big change.”
Likewise, eighth grade English Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Kimberly Swenson expressed, “I think they are ready to go, they have the tools both emotionally and academically to be very successful.”
On the contrary, EIS eighth grade U.S. History teacher, Mr. Matthew Varhley explained, “I think the transition is difficult for middle schoolers because the level of academics increases rapidly.”
In sum, the transition between middle school and high school is a mix of stress and excitement for all students. The reports and expectations of what high school requires is conflicting and many students wonder what to do to be ready for it. This wave of uncertainty is what causes the most stress and leads students to have many worries at the beginning of their high school years, but some students are just full blown excited! Eighth grader, Evan Washbourne exclaimed, “I am excited because we will have more freedom and independence in high school!”
