AP test on Thursday, band practice every morning, football practice after school, versus  watching TV, hanging out with friends and playing X-box live:

All of these are contributors to the stress of an involved student compared to a student who is not active in extracurricular things.

There are over 50 activities to be a part of at this school. Trying to put too much stuff on your plate in high school can be hard on a student.  While other kids are hanging out with their friends after school, overly active students are studying for their huge AP test in the morning, not to mention the other things they have going on in their personal lives. Being expected to study every night and make it to band practice in the morning is a lot to ask of a teenager, especially if he or she is in all AP classes.

On the other hand, students who are already in regular classes have the advantage of doing whatever they want when they want, due to more free time. Studying may not be their first priority, allowing them a lot of extra time to do extracurricular things.

To release stress caused by too much involvement in school, students should try not to take on more than they can handle. Students should take the classes that are going to help them and not take a class just because they want a college credit, if they don’t think they can handle the work load.

Too much on students’ plates can cause more stress then they need. Taking advanced placement classes while participating in band can be achieved. Students just have to work hard if they want to do it all.