JORDEN CAPERON: MY YEAR

As the end of the school year approaches many seniors share their last moments and memories with their friends, teacher and peers. For many it brings them joy and for others tears. Let's see what Jorden Caperon’23 has to say about his senior year and the advice he gives.

Did you enjoy your last school year?

J: Yes, I got to make new friends and meet new teachers and I like helping out the new students that come in.

What sports were you involved in this year and what was your favorite part?

J: I did football, track, basketball and baseball. My favorite part would be the Competition, I like how we get excited for the game. My team helps me alot.

What are you doing a er high school?

J: Coaching for football and track here at West then possibly go to Kirkwood, im very excited.

Were there times in highschool where you struggled?

J:Yes, there was a time where I got a little stuck on my classes and I got sick for a couple of days and I just got so far behind but I managed.

What was your favorite memory from this year?

J: eater, Beauty and the beast was my favorite show. I made new friends and met new people.

How do you feel now that you're leaving this school?

J: Sad, i dont know what im gonna do, i love helping everyone here at West and being involved. Ima miss all the teachers, students and activities here in the West but they will possibly see me at the football games. Any advice?

J:Keep your head up, and dont get so far behind in classes and if you have any question about anything ask a teacher or administrator they will always be happy to help.

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND DONT GET SO FAR BEHIND.

Walking through the halls, as a freshman all your dreams are crushed as you realize high school is not like the musical. People don’t sing at random times, nor start dancing, and the stress in high school, the musical, the movie, is nothing compared to the stress we experience now. Although we may have not expected the dancing and the singing, we also did not expect the stress. Watching the movie, you may have thought highschool seems sorta fun, but the stress students receive for aca- demic validation seems to put a stop to this notion of “fun”. e amount of students taking an unbelievable number of AP classes is as high as ever. e college board has said that 1.2 million students took AP classes, and in a study done by newsport institute 87% of students said AP classes are stressful and lead them to feel “overwhelmed at some point during the school year by everything they had to do.” On top of that students are expected to have a 4.0 GPA and do extracurricular. Nicholas Da- vis said “We don’t see the teens in the musical do homework or study for any sort of test, they seem to have all the time in the world to go on dates and practice musical numbers. eir eyes dont have any bags under them from the late night study sessions.”

School has been very stressful for many students and hasn’t been the de nition of fun. For many of us high school students may not have been what we expected, with the pressure from our peers to choose the hardest classes, and to go to the best colleges. e Newsport Institute says “the College Board has eliminated the SAT subject tests, putting more academic pressure on students to get high grades and do well on the college admissions tests that will be considered” Many students will prioritize academic validation, and put it over their mental health and social life. ere has been quite an impact on mental health thanks to this. A 2019 review study found that academic pressure is associated with the following mental health symptoms; Anxiety, depression, increased substance use, poor sleep quality, and high levels of stress and burnout. But the school system isn’t changing and the pressure to be the best seems to be the culture at West. An anonymous source said “I had gone my freshman and sophomore year to a di erent school, but when I came to West it was much more di cult and I felt like I had to be in the hard classes to t in...it was hard to get used to.”

Stress has only gotten worse. Cross river therapy says “ 45% of students in high school admit to being stressed almost every day in school and 61% of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 feel stress over producing satisfactory grades.” Giselle Garcia, 26 says “ I hate school, it’s overwhelming, I feel like it could be fun if we changed the way the school system works, but I feel like all I do is busy work.” Many students seem to agree, and on top of that, the busy work only causes students stress. Also because of the grade system, do- ing bad on a single test drops our grade very quickly, so having to do good the rst time is a priority to many students.

But thier is a way to deal with this stress. Having a balanced schedule, not overwhelming yourself, meditating, having a healthy sleeping schedule, are many things that can help to reduce stress and burnout. Being active releases chemicals in your brain that help you feel good; therefore boosting your self esteem, and helping you feel and sleep better. Another way is aparting time to be with friends and family, CDC says “Having meaningful relationships can create a sense of belonging. A feeling of being cared for, valued, and supported can help us become more resilient...Connecting with others can help us cope with stress and become more resilient” Another way is mediating, you can journal, do breathing exercises or even draw how you feel. e University of Rochester says journaling “Helps you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns. Tracking any symptoms day-to-day so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them. Providing an opportunity for positive selftalk and identifying negative thoughts” Also balance, you want to challenge yourself but not to the point of a burnout. Have time to work and get what you need to get done, well done. But also apart time for fun, making a schedule is a great way to keep yourself organized, but don't freak out if something changes your plans last minute, instead learn to

go with the ow, whiteout overexerting yourself.

Although highschool is not like the musical, we can make it fun and less stressful for ourselves, by maintaining a balance and not overwhelming ourselves. We all know our limit, which is di erent from everyone els, so don’t follow the crowd and take as many AP classes as you can, instead do the classes that interest you, but also try to challenge yourself a bit.