ARE you a Year 11 student like me? Or a parent of a child who is at that time in their life when it feels as if the whole world is on their shoulders? I’ll bet questions are rushing through your mind, constantly worrying and wondering about how the path you choose will affect your future and where it will take you.

Teenagers, at this time of year, have important choices to make. As you know (and if you don’t, where have you been?) it’s exam time! The time of year every teenager dreads; it feels like there is nothing to do other than revise, passing is all you can think about.

But what about prom? The summer holidays? Or the choices you have to make for next year, college, sixth form or work? Concentrating on exams isn’t as easy as you might think.

I know that all parents out there want the best for their children, but we also want the best for ourselves. The best thing you can do is to support us, nagging us to revise or to stay in all the time will only add to the amount of stress we already have and that won’t improve our results - only make them worse. I mean, who wants that? What I think will reduce everyone’s worry and stress levels, is to create a timetable for when and how long revision can be done. Time can be allocated for breaks and for each subject and this will mean that everyone is happier. Revising non-stop will only add to worry and anxiety; this time of year is stressful enough!

Prom is a huge part of all teenagers’ lives, especially girls. All they can think about is what they are going to wear, what their hair and make-up will be like and who their date will be. Prom feels as important and special as a wedding day when you’re a teen, and you won’t stop until everything is perfect. I know that any parents reading probably hate listening to their child going on about it, but imagine that you were them, preparing for what you thought was the best night of your life. Wouldn’t you be excited? Again, the best thing that parents can do for their child is to support them. We will soon be over all the excitement, but the stress of leaving things until the last minute is far more long term.

So after all the exam and prom fuss is over, what’s next? Many current Year 11s like me will be left wondering what’s next. Teens are going to have to make a quick decision regarding staying on in education or going off to work. The last thing we teens need is friends or family disapproving of our choices. Whatever you want to do, or wherever you want to go, all we need is support. I know that our minds are all over the place at the moment but happiness is only a few months away!