While scrolling through social media, I often see posts from high school students about how stressed they are. Hey, I've been there. School, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, sports... it can become a lot to handle. I have no problem with students expressing their frustrations every now and then. What I do have a problem with is the attitude that high school students shouldn't have to juggle all of it or that they are having to balance too much. Let's take a look at a picture that I often see pinned to one of these "I have too much responsibility" rants:
This is a Tumblr post that is extremely popular with the younger crowd, particularly when they are expressing their concerns about all that they have to juggle. I am about to become wildly unpopular with my generation, but this is my plea: Stop whining.
Let me fill you in on a secret: High school prepares us for college, which prepares us for the real world. I took AP classes, I played soccer year round, I had a part-time job, I was involved in school activities, I was active with my church, I was expected to do chores around my house every now and then and on top of all of that, I had awesome friends who I spent a lot of time with. Guess what? I made it out just fine.
I am now in college, where I am doing well academically, thanks to the workload I took on in high school. I have no problem working because I've had a job since I was 16. I am able to manage my time so that I am successful and can remain heavily involved on my campus and with my sorority because I spent four years prior to college learning how to make it all work. Even better, I am able to handle adult responsibilities because I have already had experience doing so.
Yes, high school is stressful. I totally get that sometimes you feel overwhelmed. But please keep in mind that in most situations, your workload is no different than millions of other high school students, and millions of college students who were once very busy high school students. You will get through it. You will be fine. You are not being given too much. You are being tested, and you are being prepared for the real world... which, by the way, doesn't give a crap that you are feeling overwhelmed.
Life doesn't slow down and it certainly doesn't stop to listen to your complaints. If you feel that high school isn't the right time to start learning that lesson and learning how to deal with it, I challenge you to find a better time. My guess is that you won't. I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that roughly six months after receiving your high school diploma, you will be grateful that you were expected to handle so much in high school.
Stop whining. Stop complaining. Stop feeling entitled to an easier life. Your life in high school is as easy as it gets, so embrace what you have and find a way to excel.
