Do you ever have too much homework and not enough time? Ever have a test that you didn’t study for? Have you ever been stressed by your grades and your extra-curricular activities? Well, you’re not alone.

According to a poll taken by USA Today, over 50 percent of teens feel more stressed during the school year than in the summer and over 30 percent of teens feel extreme stress in school.

With AP classes, band and extra activities outside of school, I am among the percentage of stressed teenagers. There are nights where I get three or four hours of sleep because I’m studying for a test or finishing an essay or project.

A big reason why I am stressed is because of my best friend- procrastination. I always put my work off until the very last minute and I end up with a billion different things to do at one time.

There are a lot of different ways to handle and manage stress. Listening to music is a good way I relieve my stress. It helps me get away and forget about some of my problems for a while. Running is also a great way for me to forget about my troubles and get focused on other things.

Although there are methods to help relieve stress, I always start to think about why I have so much stress. All of my teachers give me homework and projects and don’t take into consideration that I have other things to do. I always end up with a test in every class or sometimes four or even five assignments due the same day. I sit in school for eight hours every day and then go home and have another four hours of homework to do.

Teachers should understand that students have extra-curricular activities and other stuff to do at home as well. It was especially difficult when I’d have band until 6 p.m., in the scorching heat. I also have household jobs to do. There are nights where I get hassled to do the dishes because I was doing my homework instead of my weekly chores.

A lot of teens today are to the point where they want to rip their hair out because they have so much to do. I think teachers need to understand all the pressure we have at home and outside of school instead of putting hours and hours of work on us a day.

I’ve gotten better at managing my stress by hanging out with friends or taking some time to catch up on my sleep but that tiring cycle always begins again on Monday. Let the countdown to summer begin.