What stresses RHS out?

We sent out a survey in the cafeteria, and the responses started pouring in… What follows is a compilation of advice addressing the most common concerns.

Finding Balance

Finding balance is high school can be almost impossible. You have to juggle school, sports, social life, work, and extracurriculars while being expected to excel in each. Today more than ever, us students are overloaded. Most of our parents only remember taking one AP, being a member of one or two clubs, and applying to two colleges. A high achieving student at Rhinebeck is expected to balance a minimum of 7 AP’s with as many leadership positions as they can and apply to a substantial list of colleges. It clear our generation struggles more than ever with finding balance. So what is the solution?

One place to start is to check your priorities. If you are planning to be an artist, make art your priority. Lay off on the AP’s and focus on your path. You will be a better artist and a happier person for it. Even if you don’t have a plan for your life, gravitate to what you genuinely enjoy. If that’s AP’s great, if it’s your techno funk band, amazing.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t expand your horizons at all, but if you have an interest and stick with it, you will have a more clear and developed idea of where you want to go in life.

So don’t spread yourself too thin. Even if your not sure, let your interests guide your prioritizing and time management.

The News

Yeah this is pretty grim. If can vote, please vote. Write letters and call your representatives. Or someday maybe even run for office. Then maybe our news cycle will be a little more positive.

Being Understood

This is the quintessential high school struggle. But as much as we’d like to think it’s only a problem in high school movies, fitting in proves to be an issue in real life.

The only advice I can really give is to join clubs, classes, and other extracurriculars you enjoy. Through this outreach you will meet people that share your interests; people you are more likely to fit in with.

It can be intimidating to find your “crowd” out of the whole school, but by narrowing down your candidates to people that share your interests, the task can be much less daunting.

Sports

Don’t stress to much about sports. While your on the team it might feel like it consumes your whole life. But unless you are planning on becoming a professional athlete or trying to get an athletic scholarship it’s not SO high pressure. Make sure you make time for studies and clubs. But by no means should you have to leave your sport.

The Future

The Future… Who isn’t worried about the future? The best advice I can give is that everything happens for a reason.

You may have your mind set on attending one particular college or getting one job. But if it doesn’t work out, so be it. When one door closes, another, maybe better, door opens up.