<p>What do u guys think are the challenging issues facing highschool students these days, not including peer pressure?</p>
<p>sex and drinking...i'm not saying either is good or bad, and i'm not judging either...but a lot of my friends are starting to have moral issues on whether to do either themselves</p>
<p>grades: they're just numbers...statistics...my english teacher says that we should be more concerned about our education rather than our grade, and he's right...but it's so hard to do that when colleges look at your grade to decide whether or not to accept you</p>
<p>not having enough time to keep up w/ work, school, and friends: half the reasom ppl don't get good grades is cuz they have a life and better things to do other than the hours of homework assigned every night</p>
<p>Trying to work around a lifeless administration who seems to want everyone to fail... why is it that the first time we saw our guidence counselor was the third month of our senior year!?!? Also, bitter self-righteous teachers don't help in the fostering of our love to learn.</p>
<p>Realizing that grades, ECs, and sports are NOT the most important things in life... be happy and if that means meditating on the beach for four hours instead of going to school, then do it. I think most teens don't take enough time to discover themselves because they're so concerned about how they appear to their friends and to colleges. Also, most schools and parents don't realize how little we do in school and how skipping school (or as I put it, taking personal days) is not that bad of a thing.</p>
<p>Sex and relationships can wait... what's the point of getting all emotional over a guy(or girl) when it will most likely all end? It's really pathetic to see these girls that go out with a different guy each month and when they break up they think that "they're going to die". Just think how much more productive they'd be in their personal lives and their academics if they'd just forget about that. I have plenty of guy friends(I'm a female) who I casually "date" but don't ever get serious because I just have better things to occupy my time with.</p>
<p>... I am going to disagree with "salamanda" in the drinking topic. I don't think that I've ever been pressured to drink or do any type of drug(or smoke). BUT, that could vary depending on what your circle of friends is like.</p>
<p>Drinking varies so directly with who you hang out with. I have some really good friends who hang out with people who like to party/drink etc, but my friends don't. Drinking and drugs has a lot of influence in high school because really we're all only one or two steps away from getting anything. Personally, I don't drink because it's not necessary to have a good time with friends.</p>
<p>Two issues that I find to be two of the most challenging issues high school students face are fitting in and learning responsiblitity. </p>
<p>Fitting in, not necessarily meaning peer pressure, is a popular theme in the lives of everyone, especially high school students. When a student arrives in high school from middle school, the transition is sometimes difficult, leaving the student to question their role among their peers. The identity that she or he create for themself or is given to them will follow them for their remaining high school years. If he or she gains a negative image, then they are forced to live with the effects that image brings. That image can be anything from the neighborhood sl*t, the high achieving scholar-athlete, the ESL student, to the average all-around teen. Besides trying to maintain or trying to eradicate his or her reputation, they must learn how to balance their life which might include grades, friends, house chores, mom and dad, clubs, sports, social gatherings, their boyfriend or girlfriend, teachers, etc. </p>
<p>While learning how to balance life, teens encounter the challenge of learning to be responsible. Some don't have trouble with this, but others, including myself, do. For those who are constantly troubled by this, managing high school and family life is like managing a small boat without knowing how to steer in rough waters. Although you might succeed in doing it, the lack of steering ability makes the voyage arduous and, not to mention, risky. At times, when things are running smoothly and there's not an English paper that you haven't started due the next day , high school is fine. But, when there IS an english paper and even a history paper due the next day, it's overwhelming and tiring. </p>
<p>Okay, I got carried away. Well, that's my two cents.</p>
<p>I don't agree with the idea that people drink because they can't have a good time otherwise. It's just enhancement. Same with drugs. Personally, alcohol isn't my substance of choice; still, it's terrible to assume that drinking and drug use is caused by an inability to enjoy oneself otherwise. </p>
<p>Challenging issues? Developing into an individual, distancing oneself from frivolous groups and activities.</p>