Everyone has homework stress.

No one more than an average high school student.

As a junior at Ralston Valley, this year has been one of the hardest and toughest. Homework continues to pile up and so does the stress that comes with it.

As the year continues, I find myself losing more and more sleep. Going to bed early is not an option anymore.

The time for homework is limited and prioritizing is hard to do.

Between normal school hours, after school activities, spending time with family, along with the added hours of homework, a normal sleep schedule is out of my grasp.

Every high school student has felt this struggle. Many struggle with this dilemma much more than I do.

Lack of sleep and lack of focus can lead to sinking grades, which let’s face it, all of us panic over.

Besides plummeting grades, plunging health can follow.

Migraines or intense headaches from stress can plague anyone.

However, this seems to happen more often and more frequently to stressed teenagers.

And I get it. I’ve had my share of headaches from homework. I’ve had my share of lack of sleep or lack of motivation because it all got too much for me to handle.

So how can we, as a student body, change what’s happening to us?

Is prioritizing more or working harder enough anymore? Or is there more that we can do to change this?

I pose these questions to you as a hope that you can help change this. We need to stick together, because it’s only by sticking together that we can get through this.

Our mental, emotional, and physical health is much more important than a grade.

However, I think one way to better this situation is how we view homework.  Educate yourself, and have fun learning while doing it. But don’t let it become everything that matters.

Take time for family and friends, but don’t see homework as evil. With the right mindset, who knows, it could even be fun.

As doubtful as that sounds, we can’t keep continuing this fight with the same opinion of it.

So I challenge you to change how you see homework.

Count yourself grateful that we get the great education that we do. Prioritize your after school hours with family and friends, but leave time for homework.

Just don’t leave so much that you forget what really matters.

And, please, get some sleep.