• Dork World
    • Nikki’s Diary
    • Ask Nikki
    • Ask Brandon
    • Academy
    • What’s New
    • Meet the Author
    • Dork Diaries Books
    • For Teachers
  • Dorky Stuff
    • I Heart Writing
    • Videos
    • Fan Art
    • Games
    • Meet the characters
    • Fan stories
    • Calendars
    • Wallpapers
    • Party Kits
    • music
    • Dorks Around the World
Author:
Rachel Renée Russell

dd14-menu-booktitle

Dork Diaries Book 14

Dork Diaries

#1 New York Times Bestselling Series

JUST FOR YOU!!
Miss Know-it-All's Advice
HOW TO:
Virtual PJ Party
Part 1

HOW TO:
Virtual PJ Party
Part 2

April 26, 2018

HIGH SCHOOL IS SOOO STRESSFUL!

Hi Nikki!
I just entered high school recently, and things seem to get harder and harder! 🙁
There’s too much homework and scary exams. Do you have any tips to make high school less stressful and more fun?

Thanks Nikki!

High School Hang Ups

Hey High School Hang Ups,

Oh man, I feel this.

There’s already a huge leap between elementary school and middle school, with the amount of studying, homework and pressure. And then there’s an even bigger leap from middle school to high school!

I don’t need to tell you why academics are important in high school, because I’m sure you already have a bunch of teachers, counselors and parents telling you that stuff. So let’s just assume that’s all true – if you want to get a good job, it helps to go to college, and to go to college, it helps to have good grades in high school.

Fine.

But also? If you put too much pressure on yourself and stay up way too late studying and let the pressure get to you, you’re not going to do well in school, either. Finding healthy ways to relax and have fun are important parts of succeeding. Your body and brain need down time, in order to have energy to keep up when things are demanding.

So, here are a few things I think are important:

  1. Figure out where the pressure is coming from: If it’s your parents, talk to them about your goals, and how you want to succeed. Also tell them how you need their help to make sure you don’t stress yourself out too much.
  2. Get good sleep and eat healthy food: Basically, take care of yourself. Sure, you need to study before a big test. But you also need to get a good night of sleep the night before and eat a good breakfast the day of. Besides, who wants to be “hangry” (aka hungry and angry) because you skipped a meal or a sluggish zombie from lack of sleep?!
  3. Take study breaks: This seems like an obvious one, but sometimes when there’s a TON to do, it’s easy to feel like you have to keep on going, going, GOING! But you’ll actually work more productively if you give yourself breaks and don’t fry your brain! I like setting a timer. You’ll find what works for you, but I like to study/do homework for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break, then go again for another 25 minutes.
  4. Break things down: A giant project or a final exam can seem super stressful! But break them down into smaller, more manageable parts and stick to a schedule to accomplish each part, and they’re a LOT less stressful. It can be tempting when a big project is assigned to think you have plenty of time and leave it until the last minute, but that just causes SO much stress at the end AND you don’t end up doing your best job on it. (At least I don’t.) So when you get a big project assigned, make a schedule right away and try to stick to it!
  5. Make goals you can control: I would never tell you not to dream big, but also be realistic about what you can do and what you can control. And remember that not everyone goes to Ivy League colleges. There are lots of great state schools, community colleges and trade schools! Your life is NOT decided in high school. You do the best work you can do while also staying sane, healthy and having fun, and then you see what’s next.
  6. Rely on your BFFs: Hopefully you’ve got a couple great friends like I do. Friends are what make high school fun, no matter WHAT you’re going through! So vent to them when you’re stressed, study together if it helps, but also make sure to schedule time together that is STRICTLY fun, with no school talk allowed!

If you’re thinking about pressure in terms of getting into college, remember also that colleges don’t ONLY look at your grades and test scores. They also want to see an interesting person who was involved in different activities and showed leadership skills. So, it’s possible for activities to be a source of pressure since you’ll be all like, “OMG, I need to do one more thing for college applications!”

But, I think it can help to use the pressure from activities in a good way. For instance, if you need to do activities, you might as well do the ones you enjoy! Don’t play a sport if you hate sports, but if playing a sport is a great way for you to relax and have fun, then go for it! Or maybe it’s doing theater, debate or student government – make the activities things you love, so those don’t become chores, too.

I hope that helps! 

How do YOU deal with the increasing stress and pressure at school as you get older? Tell us in the comments!

Category: Ask Nikki Tags: schoolnikki

Comment Guidelines

I’m happy to post your comments (as soon as I can) as long as you follow these 7 rules:

  • All comments MUST be on topic!
  • Comments that either request advice or offer advice will NOT be posted if they are OFF-TOPIC.
  • NO bullying or mean behavior!
  • NO bad language!
  • NEVER share your personal info, including your age!
  • Do NOT share links to other websites or blogs.
  • Make-Up a Silly Name or Post Without a Name (NEVER use your real name!)

Comments

  1. Don't worry be happy!!! says

    May 9, 2018 at 12:34 pm

    I’m going to middle school in 6 months too! I’m a bit worried starting school again having puberty …..
    You can do it ! Go get them! Yeah! Positivity!

  2. Mackenzie says

    May 9, 2018 at 7:10 am

    I feel so sorry for u!

  3. Luv Nikki says

    May 9, 2018 at 6:20 am

    I ❤u nikki! I’m your big fan and i hope i can read more diaries of yours! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

  4. GoldenFlamingoPerson says

    May 9, 2018 at 12:30 am

    Going from Primary to (Okay, Intermediate is basically another version of middle school, expect it starts in Year 7 and goes to Year 8) Intermediate was terrifying, and my advice would just be to make a schedule. But make time for friends and family. Homework sucks, but we all know that someday we are going to thank it (I think).

    Just if you were wondering, I do NOT live in America.

  5. Makenzie & Brandon says

    May 9, 2018 at 12:21 am

    Oh noes! good luck and i hope you have more free time soon!!

  6. Youhelped says

    May 8, 2018 at 11:52 pm

    This helped me thanks so much 🙂

  7. Stressed Out About 5th Grade says

    May 8, 2018 at 7:58 pm

    OMG! Thanks Nikki for the valuable advice because I’m going to 5th grade next year and I’m already scared about all the tests we have to do.

  8. spark says

    May 8, 2018 at 7:22 pm

    Yeah, i’m in High School right now.. I’m so jealous of the younger kids playing outside while I am studying and doing homework 24/7. Your childhood goes by so fast, so please take it slow and remember to cherish it.
    And if you’re going into High School soon, remember to take care of yourself and enjoy it while it lasts! Like Nikki said, don’t stress yourself… and try some new things in High School; you never know when you can make some new friends or pick up a new hobby!

  9. jojo says

    May 8, 2018 at 6:23 pm

    that helped me to

  10. thisis2help:) says

    May 8, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    i always go on a app called GoNoodle or if i can’t, i play with a really squishy toy my cousin gave me
    🙂

  11. shy girl says

    May 8, 2018 at 3:17 pm

    love your books.

  12. BulliedDork says

    May 8, 2018 at 8:10 am

    I’m going to high school next year and I’m really stressed and your advice is amazing but how am I going to live while being bullied

  13. Anonymous says

    May 8, 2018 at 5:19 am

    omg!l did’nt know high school was so stressful

  14. COWBOYS RULE says

    May 7, 2018 at 10:13 pm

    I like this boy he is a cool kid and I don’t know if he likes me what should I do there is gossip like crazy in 5th grade and school is almost over. what should I do

  15. angie says

    May 7, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    It is ok I sometimes want to go but i cant

  16. #DORKDIARESROCK says

    May 7, 2018 at 11:53 am

    listen to nik

  17. Hopeless Romantic says

    May 7, 2018 at 11:13 am

    High School SUCKS!!!!!!!!

  18. unicorn_lover123 says

    May 7, 2018 at 9:45 am

    i am going to go to middle in a few moths too so I am studying soooooooo hard

  19. mitshel pinky says

    May 7, 2018 at 7:00 am

    wow

  20. Popper flopper says

    May 7, 2018 at 6:08 am

    Hi Nikki! I start 5th grade this year and I am really excited but at the same time I’m also really really nervous about my subjects especially math!UGH! I am not the best at it and it is not my fav subject! What should I do about my math attack?! Can you please give me some tips to not stress out about school?

    PS – Help!

  21. a gal says

    May 7, 2018 at 4:55 am

    you can do it girl

« Older Comments
Top ▲
Ask Nikki Maxwell a question

Freaking out about a problem?

Freaking out about a crush problem? Major drama in school? Bratty little sister driving you crazy? No worries! I’m here to help! Tell me what’s up and I’ll give you the best advice I can. Just ask Chloe and Zoey…I’m awesome at giving advice!! I’ll try to answer a question each week, depending on how much homework I have!

Search

Nikki's Advice

Advice Topics

  • friends
    • BFF
  • crush
  • self-esteem
    • beauty
  • school
    • grades
    • homework
    • teacher
    • writing
  • sports
  • health
  • humiliation
    • bully
  • parents
    • dad
    • mom
  • siblings
    • brother
    • sister
  • Pets

Ask Nikki a Question

    Ask Brandon a question

    Get the boy side of things!

    Nikki Maxwell's diary

    Read Nikki's latest adventure

    Recent Comments

    • Anonymous on DORK DIARIES BOOK 7 – POP QUIZ!!
    • Mr. Banana on DORK DIARIES BOOK 7 – POP QUIZ!!
    • Dorky Ravenclaw Glitch Phoenix on DORK DIARIES BOOK 7 – POP QUIZ!!
    • Anonymous on I NEED TO MAKE SOME MONEY!
    • Zoey Franklin (Cosplay) on March Calendar: Springtime Walk

    WEBSITE MAP

    • What’s New
    • Nikki’s Diary
    • My Books
    • Ask Nikki
    • Meet the Author
    • Ask Brandon
    • Merchandise
    • Videos
    • Fan Art
    • Academy

    BUY THE BOOKS

    • Amazon
    • Powell’s
    • Barnes & Noble
    • Simon & Schuster
    • Books-A-Million
    • Target
    • IndieBound
    • Wal-mart

    DORK DIARIES INTERNATIONAL SITES

  • Brazil
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Portugal
  • Bulgaria
  • Greece
  • Korea
  • Romania
  • Czech
  • Holland
  • Latvia
  • Taiwan
  • Estonia
  • Hungary
  • Lithuania
  • Turkey
  • France
  • Israel
  • Norway
  • UK
  • Top ▲ · Copyright © 2021 Rachel Renée Russell · The Dork Diaries Series is written by Rachel Renée Russell and published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing · Privacy Policy · Terms and Conditions