Stress

Lately, my stress level has gone down a bit from the beginning of the school year.  Knowing that I've been accepted to every school I applied to and that I'll be receiving scholarships to each of them is a relief. For most students, school work is less important than the ACT or SAT that decide standings among colleges, but for me, school work comes first. I have never once studied for an AP exam or the ACT, and while I may have done better if I had, I am very proud of my scores. To me, the ACT was only a burden because it meant waking up on a Saturday morning, but when I sat down to take the test I was excited. I love taking tests, especially the ACT because I know I have all the skill sets necessary to do well. I've been in an accelerated program during high school for the math and sciences, and ironically those are subjects that I have had the lowest scores in. English and reading are my strong points. I think the difference in stress level is based on how much pressure your parents and teachers place on you to do well, along with how much pressure you put on yourself. I didn't do as well in math and science because I've been required to take specific classes in the two subject areas, while I've been able to choose between advanced, AP, and dual credit courses in social studies and English. AP US History and AP Senior English have been my favorite classes while at Dunbar because they are two that I got to choose for myself. My parents have been very hands off of my schooling since middle school, allowing me to manage my own time because they know that I have a desire to do well and I don't need the extra push. When I receive the occasional low grade on a test, they tell me to just study harder next time. I feel like I place more pressure on myself than my parents do, even though I do know they want me to do well. In conclusion, I believe that as long as you go into a standardized test and plan on doing your best then you will do well. The problem comes when you set a specific goal and are worried about not reaching that goal.