As my school quickly approaches finals week, the tests are rolling in. Some classes spend a lot of time reviewing. If you're lucky, you've got one of those classes. Unfortunately, you also have five others. Most of us are dealing with AP classes, which decide that the chapter test must be taken this week, right before the final. Of course we also have to write that essay before the final, too. And also that project is due this week.
Welcome to the end of the semester, where the lower the grade, the higher the anxiety. Everyone is studying like crazy or at least freaking out, trying to calculate the exact grade they need on the final to get whatever grade it is they want in the class.
How is this helpful? How is any of this good for us? In life, of course there are deadlines. Of course there are times when we really need to bring our A game. But I find it very hard to believe that all of the things in our life are going to have those times all during the same week. Of course, that's how it is in college, and finals in college mean even more than they do in high school. So we're preparing for college. What about experiencing high school? All my life I've heard teachers say they're preparing us for the next level, so much so that sometimes I wonder if we're ever in the correct level at all. We're children. We're told that we're not mature enough for a lot of things, yet we're given these high stress situations and expected to act completely normal. We're expected to just get through it.
Many people have test anxiety, where they freak out before or during every test. Finals week is particularly hard for those people, who are now experiencing high levels of stress practically nonstop.
This post is for those people. For anyone freaking out about tests and grades and finals and projects and essays: it will be okay. Your life does not rest on your transcript. That doesn't mean you shouldn't study, but it does mean that you shouldn't kill yourself doing it. On this three day weekend of ours, don't hole yourself up with textbooks. Take breaks, eat some ice cream. Remember that we're all going through this, and that it will be over.
There's a lot wrong with out society, and I think how we treat students is part of it. We are required to go to school. We're told that what we do now is going to define the rest of our lives. Everything we hope to accomplish rests on this test. How is that supposed to make us feel? It's supposed to motivate us, but I think for most people it just ends up being really scary.
Test anxiety is real, and it's here, and you will get through it.
“I promise you nothing is as chaotic as it seems. Nothing is worth diminishing your health. Nothing is worth poisoning yourself into stress, anxiety, and fear.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
You are completely right! Society makes us think that life is all about making sure we get to the next level like a game. Where if we get the highest score we will be smarter, be stronger, be beyond any other. But at the same time kids are being pushed to hard to their breaking points by having no time to relax and take a breather from it all and just enjoy the world around them. People say that we are the most privileged country in the world. They may be right in certain areas of living but school is just not one of them. Parents treat their kids as though they need to be disciplined to the bone and not live. But has anyone realized our parents were the same. When their parents made them study till dawn and make sure they had A's in all their classes, make sure they took AP classes to get into Harvard, Stanford or even MIT. If we look back society is actually hurting kids more than anything. Parents treat us as though we have to be better than anyone. Be someone we aren't. Most of all not be how they were at our age. Going against their parents wishes but yet still having to keep straight A's or there would be problems. I understand the anxiety people get but because I wasn't strong enough to face that stress anymore, I made my life seem easy. I didn't go for the top classes. I tried through all of my senior year to just join the military and not take the classes I wish I had to make life a challenge, But that all went down hill because I screwed up my leg. I wanted to get into a great college by cheating through the military. But I realized that the stress pushed me away from the learning. Test back to back. Projects overwhelming of 3-maybe even 6 projects due in a week. It scared me to the point I wanted to die. To be less stressed and more understanding of everything around me. I helped my friends calm down during the finals weeks and the weeks before because they can all get through their anxiety of test and projects all the same. All we had to do was work together. None of us are alone! We all are there for each other even if we don't see it. By coming together you can study together and reduce stress. You can all give each other the boost you each need by having fun and relaxing when breaks are needed. No one has to go through school alone and work to the point of not caring anymore or just putting up the white flag. Life is a game but we have to chose what makes it worth living. To fight through the stress and anxiety of too much at once. To get the proper rest needed to succeed to that next level teachers talk about. Once high school ends the levels never stop. We continue to learn new things and find out its harder alone than when you have all your classmates and teachers there to guide you. I understand the adult struggle. Working two jobs, paying rent, about to start school as a full time student as well as keep my two jobs to stay alive in a home than on the streets. You may question if your in the "correct level at all" but you are. Once you come out of this stage in life notice how things change immensely. Life may be hard at times to where you bury yourself in hw/studying or shutting yourself away, but that's why the challenges make us who we are because we fight through them and come out on top knowing we can face everything head on no matter the obstacle.
ReplyDeleteP.s.
I know that some of this is off the topic but I tried to stay somewhat within it. I am with you and completely agree with your statement here. No one is alone in this matter, be that they are in elementary or college. We all know the struggle but we can all come out stronger and better with the help of friends and family and remembering that life isn't always just about the grade but about where you put your heart and soul and how you chose to face life. Either it be stressful and tiring all your life to happy and strong enough to keep pushing through life's game!
Great Statement Capt!