Have you ever been stressed out about an assignment? Or a test? Or that one science project due tomorrow that you are spending all night working on since you completely forgot about it? Do not even get me started on peer pressure, or grades, or time management.
Well, you are not alone!
Here are some helpful tips on how to manage and/or overcome stress at school.
I stress a lot over school, and it is very common for students. I am here to show you that you are not alone and that there are ways to cope with stress not only at school, but everywhere you go.
These tips can be helpful to all grade levels, however, I have compiled these tips from a middle school experience and point of view. I personally recommend that students from the ages 10-14 (grades 6-8) consider these tips and hopefully find them useful. I also believe that these tips would be most effective on middle school students especially from my experience being a middle school student.
1). Get a to do book
There are a lot of assignments and schoolwork in middle school, and managing it can be really tough. By getting a to do book, you can organize your assignments into lists. You can list certain assignments to complete each day, and check them off once completed. You can create your own DIY to do book, or purchase one. To do books are easy to get and are a very useful tool for schoolwork. To do books range in sizes, though I recommend getting one that is easy to carry around and can fit in either a backpack or a binder.
A good way to manage your to do lists is to star all the most important things you need to do. You should not list more than two or three per day so you can focus on the important ones before the other ones.
Another idea is to number off the items in the lists so you can complete the things in order.
I have personally used this tip for 3 years now. Having a to do book has served me great purpose and has let me sort all the assignments I have needed to complete.
2). Set a timer separating homework and other
We all often get carried away with things that are not relevant. For example, when you are supposed to be studying for a test and instead you are playing video games for three hours. You then forget to make time for studying and stress out.
An easy way to manage this is to set specific timers separating schoolwork and free time. You can do this on any platform, whether that be on your phone, a watch, an alarm clock, etc.
Setting an alarm on your phone is a good idea because most phones have the ability to label alarms. This is beneficial because you can set specific alarms dedicated to doing homework and for playing video games or watching movies.
If you want to work on time management even more, separate your homework timer into different sections. For example, from 6:00-6:45, work on math and science homework. From 6:45-7:45, read a chapter of your book. From 7:45-9:00, you have free time. This is a good way of improving on time management.
3). Color code subjects
Color coding your school subjects and/or classes will make life a lot easier. This simple DIY activity involves only a pen or a marker, some paper, and some brightly colored highlighters!
Most of you likely have a class schedule, and highlighting your subjects will not only make school a lot easier, it helps with managing classes, homework, organization, and it looks great!
You may decorate your schedule however you like. An example schedule would look like this:
Math = Blue
English = Red
Science = Yellow
Social Studies = Green
French = Orange
Music = Pink
Gym = Purple
​ENGLISH | FRENCH | ​ENGLISH | FRENCH |
MATH | MATH | SOCIAL STUDIES | MATH |
SCIENCE | ENGLISH | MUSIC | SCIENCE |
SOCIAL STUDIES | GYM | MATH | ENGLISH |
4). Set specific times for personal meditation
Similar to timers for homework, it is always good to set specific times in a day or a week to just relax and meditate. And trust me, it works! Meditation is one of the best forms of relaxation. It not only eases stress at school, but anywhere you are. All you have to do is just close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out. You can meditate for however long you prefer, whether that be 3 seconds a day or 30 minutes a day. Meditation helps relax the mind and the body, and can help relax any tension you may have.
Other tips to ease school stress
* Talk to somebody - you are not alone and many people undergo the same pressure as you.
* Ask a lot of questions if you are unsure. Your teachers appreciate when you ask questions so you do not have to worry later.
* Know that you do not need to be perfect. Try not to stress too much over your schoolwork. It is better to take a deep breath and realize that it does not need to be perfect.
* Do not procrastinate or put off assignments until the very end. This helps a lot in school. If there is an assignment due next week, and you have time now, do the assignment now instead of worrying about it later.
* Try not to fold under peer pressure. I know this is easier said than done, but just try to ignore mean or fake comments. Know that they are most likely just jealous of you.
Picture Reference: https://blog.planbook.com/stressed-out-students/