Ananth Varma -- Student Outlook

Wake up. Go to school. Go to work. Come home. Do homework. Go to bed.

Repeat.

This is in actuality the tedious daily schedule of a number of

teenagers in our society. This basic formula does of course vary from

person to person. While it may seem surprising to some people, the

teenagers of today often have more on their plate than they can handle.

So, what are some of the things that teenagers must face every day?

Well, where should I begin? Teenagers, not only here in our community but

doubtlessly all over the country, have a number of important obligations.

These can range from having jobs to playing sports to standard household

chores. Add to this school, homework from classes that only get harder

and personal necessities, and that is already quite a lot. On top of all

this, numerous students also have extracurricular activities, such as

drama or band, that can be very time-consuming and stressful. Oh, and if

possible, most teenagers try to make room for a social life somewhere

among all that other stuff.

What might be some reasons as to why the schedules of teenagers are

getting harsher and harsher? Well, for one thing, college admissions

these days are getting tougher as well. This is causing many students to

sign up for a large number of extracurricular activities. In the past few

years, many more students have joined various clubs and athletics at

school in order to have a better chance of getting into the college of

their choice.

Another reason schedules are getting more crowded is because there are

so many things that a teenager can do these days. The sheer variety of

choices can sometimes be intimidating, and some students may simply try

to do too many things, and then they realize later on that it has become

too much to handle.

So, what are some things that people can do to make their lives

easier? Well, the obvious choice would be to slim down the number of

obligations that one has. If it is possible, one should maybe quit their

job and try to concentrate on other things that might be more important

to them. If things get really difficult, then one should maybe leave a

club, or try to cut down on all the things they have to do for these

clubs.

Another good idea is to keep away from procrastination. If one leaves

all their work for the night before it is due, then they are surely going

to feel as though they are bogged down because they will have to work

like crazy trying to finish things that could have been done days ago.

All in all, the lives of teenagers these days are getting more

difficult. But the unfortunate truth of the matter is that things are

probably only going to get worse. That said, it might be a good idea to

try to make changes to one’s lifestyle now, before it becomes too late!

* ANANTH VARMA is a junior at Estancia High School, where he is the

editor of El Aguila’s sports page. His columns will appear on an

occasional basis in the Community Forum section.