Article: Although having a social life is an important part of a well balanced life, you need to think carefully about whether maybe your friends, or boyfriend or girlfriend, are keeping you from performing the best you can in school. If you have the opposite problem, not enough of a social life, that's something to be taken care of as well, because spending time with friends is a valuable way to destress from the pressure of school.  If your social life is taking up too much of your time and your grades are suffering as a result, then set yourself limits. Don't be afraid to tell your friends that you can't go out this weekend, because you've got a test Monday. There's always another night or weekend. If your social life is lacking and it's causing you stress or sadness, make a conscious effort to reach out more to the people you do know and like. Making friends isn't always easy, but with a little confidence and effort, it can be done. Extracurricular activities are an often overlooked aspect of doing well in high school. If one defines "doing well in high school" as preparing oneself for a successful time in college and beyond, then extracurricular activities are an important factor in that respect. Things like sports participation, volunteering, student council, and club membership look good on college and job resumes, as they show initiative, drive, and the ability to work with others toward a common goal. Your family is your number one support group, and they most likely will be there to help and support you for the majority of your life. So, it's very much worth it to try to keep a good relationship with them. Of course, not everyone's relationship with their family is the same, but making an effort to help and spend time with your parents and siblings will pay off in the long run, in a multitude of ways.  Parents can help you with homework, give you advice on how to deal with a difficult teacher or peer, give you emotional support when you need it, and help you choose the right classes and career path. Siblings can help bolster your social life, give you studying advice, and, if they're older and went to the same school as you, they can even let you know what to expect from certain teachers. Although good grades are a part of doing well in school, it's important to remember not to get too caught up in your grades. A "B" in a difficult class in which you learned a lot is so much better than an "A+" in an easy class that won't benefit you much in the long run. School is a fairly high pressure environment, and that can cause stress and anxiety which will hinder your chances of success, and reduce your quality of life overall. Sources of anxiety can include both academic pressures like big papers and tests, and your peers, in the form of social anxiety. The most important step when it comes to managing anxiety is to ask for help, from your parents, teachers, and councilor. Reach out when the stresses of school get too heavy, and don't try to battle them alone.  Cultivate positive mindsets to help manage anxiety. For example, don't think that paper you're working on as incomplete, but rather a work in progress. Instead of always focusing on how much left you have to learn, take some time to reflect on how far you've come. And don't forget to think about how the studying you're doing is helping you in the big picture of learning and growing. If you experience test anxiety that hurts your performance when it comes to test day, take some time to prepare yourself properly, to minimize that anxiety. Get a good night's sleep the night before. Don't go into a test on an empty stomach. Take slow, deep breaths to help yourself relax. And try to flip the anxiety on its head by thinking of it as energy and excitement that can be utilized, rather than a stressful burden.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Create a healthy social life. Explore interests outside of academics and socializing. Make time for your family. Don't focus too much on grades. Manage anxiety.