Stress Management

Finding a Work/Life Balance

• We want to start prepping students now to achieve a work/life balance that is appropriate before college. 

• What is appropriate? Work is done, grades are good (not straight As – but good), getting enough sleep and time to eat. Time with friends and family is important too for self-care!

• Sustainability. Can the student sustain their current workload and current schedule for four years?

• What do you drop back on if there is too much on your plate? Not always athletics. What is causing the most stress – what are the goals of the student? Clubs and sports can be vital to a student’s development and leadership. Sometimes an AP class, volunteer experience, etc. can be the best option.

Coping with high-performing school

• Goals: What are the student’s goals? Any specific career path or are they undecided? Start thinking about this now to find different career paths and/or colleges that might be a good fit

• Make sure major and interests align with the colleges the student is looking at. One college in mind but there might be a better one for a specific major. For example: Widener is great for Engineering. Research and talk to your school counselor.

• Realistic expectations: We encourage all students to have a healthy list of options for college. Some reach, some realistic, and some “safety”. Many students end up changing their mind due to financial aid, scholarships, etc., and reach schools are often extremely unpredictable with admissions. It is also helpful to look at the scatterplots in Naviance for an idea of how successful LM students have been getting into specific schools.

• Alternative Options: There are over 3,000 colleges and universities in the US, MANY options for all of our students. It’s great to have a dream school to reach for, but even better to keep your mind open for other opportunities. 

• Try not to compare to others. It’s irrelevant how others did on a test, GPA, etc. and you never know the whole story. Keep focus on yourself and your goals.

Goals and what it will take to achieve them

• What does it take to achieve your goals? Keep that in mind. If your goal is Med school – volunteer at a hospital and take anatomy. Law school? Participate in Debate and Mock Trial. Education? Volunteer or work at a daycare and tutor on your days off. 

• If your goal is a good state school such as Penn State or Maryland, do you need to take 8 AP courses? Alternatively, is your goal a Penn or other Ivy-type school? Research their expectations for language requirements, GPA and test scores, etc.  

• Don’t do things just to “put it on a resume”, admission reps will see through it. Pursue activities and classes you are interested in. You will do better, you enthusiasm will shine through, and you will get a better idea of what you really want to do in the future.

Social Media

•  Colleges will check! Last year Harvard rescinded offers for 10 students, and they are not alone. Inappropriate or offensive comments, likes, posts, etc. can come back and haunt you.

• Depression and social media. There is no question that stress and anxiety are linked with social media use. Students see others in a Utopian world. Please remember that people only post what they want others to see, so the image you are seeing is a perfect image of what people want. It’s never reality.

• Social media can be good, but it’s good to take a break. There is no reason to check your SnapChat and Instagram 100 times a day. It’ll all be there next time you look. 

• Put it away when it’s time for homework. If you are checking your Instagram instead of doing your homework, that 20 minute paper just turned into a 45 minute paper.

• TURN IT OFF BEFORE BED. The light is bad enough, but it’s also addictive. It’s easy to scroll for 30 minutes, but that’s 30 minutes of sleep you could have had.

Links and other helpful resources for managing stress:

Managing Stress: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-teens.aspx

Creating a Personal Stress Management Plan: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/For-Teens-Creating-Your-Personal-Stress-Management-Plan.aspx