Back to School: How to Handle Stress the First Months of High School

5 ways to handle stress during the first months of high school

When students transition from summer break to high school they can feel a lot of stress. Whether they are transitioning to their very first year as a high school student or simply coming back as a rising sophomore or junior, it’s one of the biggest transitions in a teen’s life. Also, these days many high schoolers end up spending a fair portion of their summer preparing for standardized exams or gathering college prep materials. Although this can help them greatly towards their future, it also means they haven’t had much of a chance to just rest, relax, and recharge. It’s important for teens to keep their stress low when possible and there are a few tips and tricks they can follow to cope with those first months of high school – start the year off right with the help of private Orange County tutoring.

1. A Creative Outlet

One thing that most teens’ schedules are missing is a creative outlet, usually art or music. Because this is not a large part of school curricula these days many teens who need creativity are missing out. However, they can still get a creative outlet by taking up photography, visiting art museums, taking music lessons after school, or just keeping a sketchbook. Students who have the option to take art or music as an elective may want to consider it as a break from their academic schedule (READ: 5 Resources to Organize as a High School Freshman).

2. A Social Balance

Maintaining a healthy balance of social and academic life is also important to keep stress low. On one hand spending too much time with friends takes away from valuable study time and makes students more stressed out but, on the other hand it’s important they have at least some time to just hang out and enjoy their friendships. Students who feel overwhelmed with their schedule can invite some of their good friends to a study group or plan a regular movie night once a week to take a break from their work.

3. Exercise an Time outdoors

Getting enough exercise is essential for a teen’s mental well-being. Teens have a lot of energy, and it’s detrimental to sit all day and all afternoon without a break. Some high schoolers will enjoy playing on an organized sports team, but they don’t have to make such a large commitment to be healthy. They could join a local gym or play basketball in the driveway after school. They could swim laps at the local pool or take a yoga class. As long as students are getting some exercise and spending time outdoors when the weather is nice, they are maintaining an overall well balanced healthy lifestyle.

4. Academic Support

Students should have the academic support they need as they are tackling difficult high school level subjects. This might mean talking to their teacher during their free period to clarify assignments, joining a study group that meets on Saturday afternoons, or hiring a private tutor to come and help them in the comfort of their home. The most common academic issues are a lack of organization and difficulty studying for exams. Organization and test prep skills are learned and perfected over time, so it’s important to have a great private tutor and motivated students as part of a study group.

5. Reasonable Expectations

Maintaining reasonable expectations is another way teens can keep their stress low during high school. If they have always earned C’s and B’s in science they will probably maintain this type of grade in high school. If they want to improve, they will need some academic support. They should feel confident about the number of advanced placement courses they are taking and track reasonable increases in test scores on the SAT or ACT exam. Many students try to tackle sports, the SAT, AP courses, and a fun social life all at once. It’s good for students to set reasonable priorities and make sure they have enough help from a parent or tutor to organize their schedule so they can fit all of their activities into their weekly calendar.

Many students fall behind the first months of high school. Stay on top of your work with the help of Orange County private tutoring from TutorNerds. Our tutors work with your busy schedules.

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