A day in the life of a teen-ager

That all too familiar smell is in the air, the fragrance of fall.
Summer has ended; we're well into the stress and worry of a new school year.
Wait a minute, was stress just mentioned? This is part where adults say "Stress?! What could you possibly be stressed about?"
Being a teen-ager is a lot more difficult today than it was 30 or 40 years ago.
The pressure to excel is phenomenal. Parents try to live missed opportunities through their kids. College or trade school is just something most students are expected to do after high school. The competition for the highest position in the class is so fierce, it's easy to crack under the pressure.
Some teen-agers would give anything for a few more hours tacked on to each day. The appointments build up so fast that everyone has to start carrying around daily planners.
The real world comes knocking a lot sooner than they thought it would.
Typical day: Just look at the day of a typical teen-ager:
U6:30 a.m. -- Wake up for school. Pick out what to wear, changing mind numerous times.
U7:20 a.m. -- Leave for school.
U7:21 a.m. -- Come back home to pick up forgotten homework.
U7:30 a.m. -- Arrive at school, stopping at three different classes to talk to teachers about homework assignments.
U7:42 a.m. -- Finish homework for next class that wasn't finished last night.
UNoon -- Grab a bite to eat while trying to cram for the algebra test and finish history project at the same time.
U2:30 p.m. -- Head to the locker room to change for practice.
U4 p.m. -- Grab books out of locker and head to store to pick up paint and dye for the basketball game.
U5 p.m. -- Fix a plate for dinner while informing mom about the $20 you need for a field trip, $325 you need for the senior trip and the plans for your graduation party.
U5:15 p.m. -- Sit down to finish essay for college application.
U5:45 p.m. -- Call a DJ to book for the Winter Homecoming dance.
U6 p.m. -- Meet at a friend's house to get ready for the basketball game.
U9 p.m. -- Stroll home from the basketball game to start on homework.
U9:30 p.m. -- Take a break to watch some TV.
U10 p.m. -- Study for the three tests that are tomorrow, finish math homework, read two chapters in English book, and do a little more research for history project.
U1 a.m. -- Study for ACT test on Saturday.
U2 a.m. -- Finish application for the 10th college applied to.
U2:30 a.m. -- Take a shower before falling into bed.
Frenzy: This may sound a little exaggerated, but most teen-agers have a schedule similar to this one. How can one fit everything into 24 hours?
Some say it's just getting prepared for the real world, but is it good for kids to grow up so fast?
Perhaps parents should give a little time for kids to be young, and kids should try to take their time to grow up.
There will be lots of time for appointment books later.
XStephanie, 16, is a junior at Springfield Local High School, balancing her busy schedule as a cheerleader and a member of Academic Challenge and Youth Leadership.