10 things I Hate about being a teenager

If only being a teenager was like those teen movies! But it is not!

1. Hours and Hours of HW: The hours of homework and studying daily is insane. I mean it is not bad to study and work hard it fact it is a great skill but when you have to make time to do other things apart from studying because your work is like a never-ending all you can eat buffeat is when you know the HW and studying might be getting a bit problematic. I swear I studied eight hours today and I still had classes. I know this is the reality for many other people who are preparing for different exams whether it is A level, boards, AP exams, finals, or GCSEs. It feels like all you ever do is study, sleep, eat, and try to squeeze in things that are non-study related (whenever you get a chance).

2. Fake Friends: These people act like your friends but all they want is your tips, and stop you from succeeding. They are like "leeches" squeezing all the mental energy out of you. Remember those people who studied several hours but said they did not study to make it seem like they got good scores without even trying? How about those people, who act like your friends and then tell someone your secret and backstab you?

3. Imposter Syndrome: You feel like you are not good enough and no matter what you do you will never be good enough. It is like a rat race to look at colleges, find scholarships, internships, and jobs, and get to the best university possible. Additionally, we have to take standardized exams like the SAT or ACT or even both. We are comparing ourselves to other people our age with the goal, to be the best and achieve the best we can. We live in a society full of influences and comparisons. Social media sure does not make it any easier and increases the imposter syndrome.

4. College/University: There are so many things that you have to do to be able to be in college. You need a certain GPA, test scores, essays, and extracurriculars. We do so many things to try to stand out from colleges. It is like being one person out of millions of people waving a poster saying “pick me! you won’t regret it!”.

5. Sadistic Teachers: We all have probably experienced teachers who don’t want us to succeed. Remember those teachers who brag about how many people fail their class and don’t care if you are actually learning the subject? That is annoying and it sucks when you have to deal with those teachers to make sure you get the grade you want- it is just a pain. Disclaimer: not all teachers are sadistic, some really helpful teachers who want you to succeed.

6. Extracurriculars/ Clubs: We are trying to maintain a good GPA, and do numerous extracurriculars and clubs to seem well-rounded to colleges. Many people join ten or more clubs at the beginning of the year and then see what they like and don’t because there are no positions left later on during the year.

7. Lack of Sleep: Studying, homework plus extracurriculars and don’t forget about actually going to school and attending classes are all time-consuming. Plus eating and all the other necessities also have to be done so it is no wonder it is hard to get enough sleep.

8. Unsure about the Future: There is also a nagging thought about the future. Are you sure you want to be a doctor? What if you are a horrible doctor? What if you perform surgery wrong? What if you go into med school and realize medicine is not for you? All these What ifs and doubts?

9. Lack of Time: The classic is that there is a lot to do and not enough time to do it all. *cues crazy lady with a stack of 100 pounds of papers and lopsided eyes*

10. Always Running and a bucket load of stress: It feels like you are constantly running in the same circle every single day. Nothing ever stops.. if you are sick you can’t even make up work because “it was your responsiablity to be here” (not untrue). My point is that in school and in the workforce there is never a break. Society always wants you to push, push, and push and that can lead you to continue in a loop that will never end and forever remain the same.

It is 12 AM and I have to sleep since I am studying again tomorrow. Before I tune out, some people say “Teenage years are the best years of your life.” I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! :)

~Saanvi Bhatia, Teenage Girl POV