HOW TO DEAL WITH STRESS AT SCHOOL

Most students feel stressed out or even anxious about school. The first step is to recognize your anxiety. The second is to determine what is causing it. Here are the 3 most common causes of school anxiety.

GRADES

Grades are a weird concept. We focus so much on them but they don’t mean shit. I’m not kidding! Why do we use grades? To assess your learning, but it only shows how well you follow your teachers’ instructions. My feeling is that we keep on using grades because universities and colleges want them. And it’s my belief that in 15–20 years, grades in high school will be dead. R.I.P.

Don’t focus too much on your grades. Truth is: after you’re done with school, no one will care if you were a A or C student. (read “Why A Students Work for C Students”)

OTHER STUDENTS

Don’t care what others think. Most people who succeed in life were not the popular ones or A students in high school. Classified say it best “Besides everyone in high school who seem cool […] they usually never see their dreams through”. Those who do what they believe is right for THEM and aren’t influenced by others are those who live a happy life.

TEACHERS

Some teachers are weird. They want your respect but they don’t really reciprocate. Let me tell ya, the staff room is an ugly place! Unfortunately, your teachers have all the power, and most of them don’t want to share it with you. The upside is they’re humans, so you can use cognitive biases in your favor.

Give and you shall receive: It’s not written anywhere but when someone does us a favor, we’re inclined to reciprocate. It’s just human nature. So do something nice for your teachers: bring them coffee, say hello when you see them, offer to refill their water bottle, anything. Do something that will put you in their good graces. This is how you build a relationship. And relationships are really powerful! You’ll see: they’ll be more respectful toward you.

Your learning is their goal: If you feel that your teachers don’t always have your best interests at heart or if their teaching methods aren’t working for you, tell them that you really want to learn XYZ but you’re struggling. Add that you know for a fact that their goal is for you to learn. By saying that, you’re remembering them the real goal of a teacher, leaving them no choice but to agree and help you. The general idea is to pave the way for your request.

Something in common: Find something that you have in common with your teachers. It can be hard, I know. But there are many options to choose from. It could be opinions, personality traits, background, lifestyle, etc. If you find out that your teacher loves Justin Bieber and you do too, use that info to your advantage. Find out the freshest gossip and inform her/him about it. Be on the same page about something.

Thanks for everyone who shared their stories with me. Much apprec :)