Tips for Success in Second Semester

Stress is consisted of two hormones known as cortisol and adrenaline. It causes the heart to increase in beats per minute, as well as the heart rate to increases its blood pressure in the body, and it can cause breathing to become rapid. Stress can be caused by the state of mental or emotional tension caused by current events in life. “School, homework, extracurricular activities, sleep, repeat- that’s what it can be for some of these students,” Noelle Leonard a senior at New York University College of Nursing states.

Mrs. Gutierrez-Akerly, iJAG Specialist at Mason City High School says, “Stay on top of your work! If you lose focus it begins to create a snowball effect.” She expounds further by saying, “You need to utilize your Mohawk Pride Time and downtime as much as you can because we’ve help create it for you guys.” Mohawk Pride time is a 25 minute class period after lunch. It allows students to talk to their teachers and helps them study if needed. Mrs. Gutierrez-Akerly is a hardworking teacher at the High School right along with Jeremy White, and they have developed their own Mohawk Pride Time to help students pass all of their class.

Stress can be a wearisome when battling throughout high schools, but there is way to coop through it. In the article Academic pressure: 5 TIps From An Expert On Coping With School Stress, by Huffpost it states, “According to an Associated Press/MTV survey, school was the most frequently-mentioned source of stress for 13 to 17-year olds.” Reading further through the article it gives a few tips on how to deal with stress.

Tip 1: Take time for self-care.

This can be as simple as sleeping. Sleep causes your body to process what is needed so that it can return to its normal state. Taking or using non prescribed substances will only intensify stress levels because of addiction. Eating healthy can be another way of self-care.

Tip 2: Learn to change your thinking.

Researcher Evan Carmichael says, “Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and you really work hard”, negative thoughts lead to negative outcomes, so having the will that you can do it will boost confidence. “You cannot get stressed out unless you believe your thoughts”, Stiffelman, another researcher, says, “changing your mind’s perspective upon perplexed situations will help ease stress, and possible extinguish stress.” These couple of tips may be simple but have proven to be highly effective.

Peterson Jean-Pierre has been working with Mason City High School for a few years now, and has impact on many students. He’s also known to be a mentor for a few of them as well, and loves to help out with students/kids as much as he can. Most say he’s a very wise and relaxed man. Mr. Jean-Pierre, or Pete, had a few things to say to help with the second Semester Stress. “In the stage of being stressed, it’s a matter of having chaos, so to deal with it you have to first get organized then prioritized. Once you’re prioritized, you find time to ease the stress. Being ahead of the ball helps and goes hand-in-hand with prioritizing and organizing. Another method of reducing stress would be listening to soft or relaxing music. Lastly, meditation and keeping a checklist may help as well. Most importantly, surround yourself with the people with the same mission that you are on.” As MCHS students begin their second semester, these tips and tricks will ensure they are setting themselves up for success.

For More Information: http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2015/august/nyu-study-examines-top-high-school-students-stress-and-coping-mechanisms.html

https://www.sharecare.com/health/stress-reduction/how-does-stress-occur

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/academic-pressure-5-tips-_n_2774106.html