Help the High School Seniors

How can high school seniors manage and reduce the overwhelming stress they are experiencing? Help!!!!!

As I sat on the plane on my way to visit the University of Michigan with my daughter, I asked her, ‘What is the one thing that seniors could really use help with?”

She thought for a moment and then told me that there are soooo many things she has to do before college that is seems impossible to decide what to do first, how she should prioritize, and what is the best process to accomplish the insurmountable list that seems to grow by the day:

• College applications
• College essays
• Letters to teachers for recommendations
• Schoolwork
• Homework
• Studying for tests
• Reading the books for class
• Doing the papers
• Doing the projects
• SATs
• Showing up for soccer practices
• Sleeping
• Eating
• Working a side job
• Clubs
• Volunteering
• Visiting any schools she hasn’t seen yet
• Figuring out what school is her first choice
• Deciding what she should major in
• Choosing potential careers to explore that may interest her
• Figuring out how to connect the right schools with her passions and interests

But what if she has NO ideas yet??? Should she take ANY downtime to recharge her batteries or just go until she collapses?

As I thought about this I wondered, is this even possible? How did it get this way?
Where is there ANY time to absorb and enjoy senior year?
How do kids handle such stress?
Why wasn’t it like this for us?
HOW CAN WE HELP?

At first glance I have no ideas, no master plan. If I look closely we can break it down, prioritize and dedicated a specific number of hours to each task at hand. I am exhausted thinking about it. It does not seem fair that there REALLY is NO time for my daughter to enjoy such a wonderful time in her life. It will come, but back to the task at hand.

I am putting this question out there for everyone to post blogs responding with suggestions. I hope the solutions are out there.