How Stress Increases during Fourth Quarter by: Ryan Beaver

As the year rounds winds down, stress levels wind up. The overall pressure of getting a GPA that will help towards future goals, obtaining the proper relationships with teachers, and preparing for the horrid standardized tests just weighs down on the students. I for one have been under a lot of stress recently due to these issues as have many students in my grade. Not only are there more stressful tests in class but the standardized tests also pose a threat to the future of the students, especially concerning college. Most of the colleges I am looking into only accept 4s or above on the AP tests. This has led to a lot of studying and late nights trying to balance all of this with sports and extracurriculars. Teachers should understand this and offer support to students in these areas of need.

            One way for teachers to support students through this difficult time is to be available for questions and extra help. When I am stressed out about a test, I go into school early to talk to my teachers about what I need help on. This helps by giving me a more complete understanding of the material and gives me confidence. This is a very important thing for teachers to do. It also shows the students that the teachers care about them.

            Another thing the teachers can do is give small breaks in class. This will allow the students to decompress a little and kind of center themselves. This free time in a class helps balance some of the stress. Busy and rushed classes just increase the stress on the students. If teachers carve out a five minute chunk for the students, then they will not be as stressed.

            The major causes of stress are the standardized tests. Many teachers do not even review for these in class. The teachers can help by reviewing some material that will be necessary to know for the tests in class. This way the students can ask questions if they need to. Also, give the students different study strategies so that they can study in their free time. Standardized tests are necessary for some students to get into college, so they should be of utmost importance, especially the AP tests. While they are not beneficial, they are still around so make sure they aren’t causing students to stress out.

            Students are very busy at this time of the year. With all of these things to do, they can get very stressed. Just supporting them when they need it is super important. Be there when they have questions, help them out with in class review, and give them a little bit of free time in class. These are all great ways to help the students handle the stress.