Today the average life of a teenager is very stressful. Teens go through a lot; things like being a senior at a school of architecture and design. Right now I’m a senior and everyone tells me that I am supposed to go to college in less than a year. I feel like I’m in a maze and every way I turn is the wrong way. I don’t know what to do first. Everyone tells me to go to college. But they don’t tell me how. It’s like I hear them say it every day ‘’go to college. Be successful.’’ Homework, football practice, driving school, hoping I pass my driving test so I can get my license, college essays, SAT’s, ACT’s, family matters, watching my favorite TV show, putting in college applications on time, keeping and maintaining a healthy relationship with girlfriend and working trying to earn honest money for senior dues. Whew!!! These are just a few of the things that I deal with on a daily basis. Because school and work consume most of my time. I some times balancing everything else on my long list of things to accomplish and maintain. Extracurricular activities, family and working are sometimes put on the backburner to school. Making it through life as a teenager is pretty stressful. Some Adults might disregard my stress because I am only a teenager. These things mayseemlike no big deal to adults, but to me everything are a big deal. My biggest problem is time. Do I have time to be on the basketball team and keep a job? Will I have time to study? There are only 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week…DUH!! LOL and when I try to do it all I get burned out. My senior year is my most stressful year to far. One time I was trying to do too much like school, work, football practice, driving school, studying and getting college applications in. I become so stressed out my mom made me stop and get some rest and made me make a priority to do list. I used to think that I needed to participate in every opportunity at school because it would look impressive and reduce my stress. Also learning to manage my time wisely has taken my stress level down a lot. I now try to know my limits. I realized I can’t possibly go to every club meeting, or participate in every after school activity and still do well in school. I have also learned that stress not only exhausts me, but it also affects my health and my social health. Trying to keep up with my intense schedule often means I don’t get enough sleep. When I don’t get enough sleep I sometimes get migraines. I also need things in my life to decompress stress like, I hang out with my girlfriend a lot I really am stress free when I’m with her like nothing in the world really matters. Also I enjoy doing things with family plus getting enough sleep helps me relax and reduces my exhaustion. It is very important to have people in your life that can help you. For me, I know that it is my parents, my girlfriend, my friends and family. When I’m really stressed and feel like I can’t do it, they give me the “you can do it” pep talk, giving me the confidence to keep going. Teens stress out about things that might seem unimportant to parents. But to us the things we stress out about are serious!! And that’s my opinion on TEEN LIFE.