WIZARDS RUNNING TO THE FINISH

By MICHAEL DEPAOLO

MICHAEL DEPALO FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

Around this time of the year, students begin to overly stress and look forward to the break that is coming their way. From May to June, many students have to deal with a lot of stress such as an overload of work, AP exam’s, extracurricular activities, jobs outside of school, and the list goes on. All of this occurs while teens are trying to make the most out of their dwindling high school careers. These overworked students often feel like they have no down time to relax, recuperate and rejuvenate.  Most seniors at this point just want to cruise through the rest of the year and reach graduation day.

WHS senior, AJ Martinez, is no stranger to the stresses of high school.  He expressed, “Stress is something that everyone has to deal with at a point in their life. It is definitely hard to balance all of the responsibilities of being a student, having a part time job and being a part of multiple clubs or sports.” Between his competitive tennis career and keeping up with his school work, finding the perfect balance is no easy task.  He also mentioned how overwhelming “making a college decision and getting everything ready for the next chapter can be on it’s own.”

One might ask how dedicated students have to be in order to participate in various school activities while maintaining a good GPA.  The answer is simple: time management. Students with packed schedules are time management machines, planning their days down to the second with every task written down in their planner.  If a student is not organized, it can be nearly impossible to do it all, especially to the best of his or her ability.

Another senior at WHS, Anthony Acosta, mentioned how being organized has really helped him stay on top of his work and everything else he needs to do. Although there isn’t much work left to do at this point in the year, it is imperative that students stay focused on the responsibilities at hand.  Acosta believes working while in high school is an extremely important aspect, “Having a job not only makes you money, but it takes your mind off of everything around you back home.”

Hard work and ambition carries students throughout the school year, but for some it becomes too much.  At this time of year, especially, many seniors are only looking to pass and graduate in order to move onto college.  However, those students need to step back and look at their lives. They should ask themselves, “Am I making the right strides in my life that will help me succeed in the future?”  Even though things might seem hard right now, if students stay motivated and finish the year strong the pay off with be worth the stress.