Why is high school so hard

Creating a study schedule can help you manage your time and keep from cramming. For each class, consider setting out a certain amount of time each day, maybe in a calendar or agenda book. Doing a little every day is miles better than cramming. A study schedule should be flexible to both your learning style and your life.

But even if it gets disrupted sometimes, just having made it can be enormously helpful. Getting the most out of studying means staying focused, which in turn means minimizing distractions. But maintaining productive study time means filtering all this out to focus on your schoolwork.

To that end, do what you can to minimize distractions and build good study habits. Use anti-procrastination browser extensions like StayFocusd to keep yourself off social media and other distracting websites. Sign out of instant messaging. Distractions can be physical, too. Keeping your desk organized can help boost your productivity and lead to higher grades, as can organizing your notes and materials.

So, to summarize, they're taking Adderall so they can not sleep for a week, work themselves to death, and graduate into a debt-laden college education, despite barely understanding math. Internet-savvy teens are using social media and YouTube to convince their favorite celebs to be their prom dates.

Now, simply getting a date with that guy or gal you like in pre-calc feels like slumming it. Sure, this might not immediately sound "horrifying. Staring at their phones have turned modern teenagers into zombies, a far cry from when communicating with peers in high school used to involve actual effort. It's a lost art form, and it's worth mourning.

The Internet may seem like a gift for a high school student looking to research a term paper or study for a test.

And it can be, assuming your teacher is okay with facts that are kinda-sorta true. According to numerous studies , there's quite a bit of false or blatantly untrue information being circulated online, and it's become increasingly difficult to tell the difference.

At least Wikipedia is still mostly reliable, with an accuracy rate at 80 percent, according to a study published in the Reference Services Review. Teachers have never gotten fair salaries, but it's actually gotten worse than ever before. What could be better than getting your education from people who can barely afford to feed and clothe themselves? To be fair, teenage slang has always been ridiculous.

But at least you could communicate with other teens using words that sounded like words. Modern slang sounds like a bunch of alien gibberish or impossible to decode acronyms.

To avoid being socially ostracized at high school, you have to keep up with a constantly evolving language shorthand that's just slightly more complicated then HTML coding. Psychologist Jean Twenge has coined a new name for the generation born between and They're "iGens"—because, well, they use their iPhones a lot, and they value individualism, thus the emphasis on "i. We're not talking about late fees for overdue books at the school library. And if they're late frequently enough, that could result in two weeks of prison time!

Students can be fined thousands for cheering during graduation , cursing in class , or attempting to eat a second lunch. Any kid who gets out of high school without going into debt is one of the lucky ones. All Rights Reserved. If you think it might help, tour your school another time before or after orientation to make sure you have a good sense for where your classes, locker, etc.

When you talk to people at orientation, you'll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you are. They're all new to the school and don't know what to expect.

Talking about a common concern with your classmates can spark new friendships. How about the workload in high school — is it a lot harder? Again, this is something your classmates are probably worried about, too. The work in high school builds on what you learned in middle school, giving you a more advanced knowledge of many academic subjects.

So you may find you have more work to do or that it's a bit more challenging. But these challenges can make you feel less bored with the usual routine — it feels great when you've mastered something really tough. Maybe you'll find a new appreciation for biology or discover a passion for literature. If you ever find your work too overwhelming, teachers and tutors are available for extra help. While you have more independence as a high school student than you might have had in middle school, there are still many resources to fall back on if you feel the work is too much or if there's something you don't understand.

Remind your teen to take notes in class, organize them by subject, and review them at home. If grades are good, your teen may not need help studying. If grades begin to slip, however, it may be time to step in. Most parents still need to help their teen with organization and studying — don't think that teens can do this on their own just because they're in high school! You can help your teen review material and study with several techniques, like simple questioning, asking to provide the missing word, and creating practice tests.

The more processes the brain uses to handle information — such as writing, reading, speaking, and listening — the more likely the information will be retained. Repeating words, re-reading passages aloud, re-writing notes, or visualizing or drawing information all help the brain retain data. Even if your teen is just re-reading notes, offer to quiz him or her, focusing on any facts or ideas that are proving troublesome.

Encourage your teen to do practice problems in math or science. If the material is beyond your abilities, recommend seeking help from a classmate or the teacher, or consider connecting with a tutor some schools have free peer-to-peer tutoring programs. And remember that getting a good night's sleep is smarter than cramming.

Recent studies show that students who sacrifice sleep to study are more likely to struggle on tests the next day. All schools have rules and consequences for student behaviors. Schools usually cite disciplinary policies sometimes called the student code of conduct in student handbooks. The rules usually cover expectations, and consequences for not meeting the expectations, for things like student behavior, dress codes, use of electronic devices, and acceptable language.

The policies may include details about attendance, vandalism, cheating, fighting, and weapons. Many schools also have specific policies about bullying. It's helpful to know the school's definition of bullying, consequences for bullies, support for victims, and procedures for reporting bullying.

Bullying via text or social media should be reported to the school too. It's important for your teen to know what's expected at school and that you'll support the school's consequences when expectations aren't met. It's easiest for students when school expectations match the ones at home, so they see both environments as safe and caring places that work together as a team. It's also important to note that educators may call law enforcement officials to the school for serious infractions, and consequences may differ based on students' ages.

Volunteering at the high school is a great way to show you're interested in your teen's education. Keep in mind, though, that while some teens like to see their parents at school or school events, others may feel embarrassed by their parents' presence. Follow your teen's cues to determine how much interaction works for both of you, and whether your volunteering should stay behind the scenes.