For some (and may I even dare to say most), high school is a rigorous, personified monster that is able to envelop the very livelihood of an individual. Having survived the challenges of this monster for two years now, I have created a formula that enables myself to chronically digest the hardships and transform them into various successes. Here are some of my favorite tips to survive and even thrive in high school.

1:Create a mental game plan to avoid procrastination

At the onset and conclusion of every week, try to plan out what work you will do, and how much you will do each day after school. If you have to finish a book or a chapter by Friday, calculate how many pages you will read per night so that you are not compelled to read a daunting 150 pages in one night. If you have a major essay due on Wednesday, allocate a large portion of time on the weekend and some time on during the week if needed. However, be realistic. If you know you have a major commitment one day, plan to do a large chunk of longer-term assignments on the other days of the week. This game plan will ensure that you are not left with an abundant-cumbersome-overwhelming workload on one specific night, which would result in lesser quality of that work.

2: Sleep

If you have an opportunity to rest, take advantage of it. A 30-minute power nap can go a long way since it will make you happier and you will have a better rested mind to produce higher quality work. Also, go to sleep at a reasonable hour: Get at least 6 hours of sleep per night. With the game plan mentioned above, you should never have a ridiculous amount of work that forces you to stay up into the weening hours of the night. If you are sleep-deprived, you could suffer in school since your mind will not be fully active and alert.

3: Study

If you are prepared for a test or quiz your life will be significantly easier. Do review problems, look over answer keys, ask the teacher questions if you are confused.

4: However, do not overstudy

Once you are proficient at the material and you are able to answer the majority of the questions correctly, stop. I typically only try to study for 45 minutes maximum for a certain subject. Overstudying is a real thing; it can cause you to second-guess yourself, overthink problems, and make everything more complicated. And besides, I am sure you have other work to do.

5: Stress is normal

Embrace stress and make it a positive that forces you to get stuff done when necessary. Do not allow it to degrade or diminish your mental status because, frankly, that will only halt progress and ironically create more stress.

6: Don't let school completely interfere with your social and personal life

Make plans over the weekend and on weekdays: hangout with friends, watch TV, go to concerts/sporting events. Do not let school consume who you are. Now, do not twist my words and stop doing your school work so that you can do other things. Just when you have time, do things that you want to do for fun. This will make you happier and more relaxed, which can actually increase productivity and cognitive abilities.

7: Do not be shy or ashamed

Ask friends to help you with your work. Email your teacher or go in before of after school to receive additional help. Even ask a parent for assistance if need be. Do not be afraid to reach out for help because you think others will judge your intelligence. Chances are they will not, and even if they do, who cares?

8: Do not make excuses

If you do not do as well as you hoped on a test or assignment do not blame the teacher or the school for failing you. Do not complain because that will just make matters worse. Embrace it. Make a pact to improve, and then study harder and make a more determined effort in class.

9: RELAX

Everything is going to be fine. High school does not determine your future. You can still be successful no matter how you perform in high school. One test or one marking period grade will not kill you. It will not matter once you graduate high school, earn your diploma, and seek a higher education.