Sluffing Off Not the Norm for Perfect Student

Dear Dee:
I'm a junior in high school and have ALWAYS been a pretty good student and really easy to deal with when it comes to teachers. I always did my homework, always got great grades, NEVER got in trouble for talking in class, etc.

Junior year was really stressful for me and now that it's almost over, I feel like I am falling apart. Its been 2 weeks since I went to bed before midnight. I'm usually in bed by 10:30 p.m. at the latest. I didn't do my last 2 homework assignments of the year for science and i just turned in my lab a week late for half credit.

I didn't do my last Spanish homework assignment and got told to be quiet 4 times in one 100-minute class period. My teacher threatened to move me if I talked again and I was mortified because since 1st grade I have never gotten in trouble for talking!

It's like I'm viewing my life from the outside because I can see what I'm doing and I see my grades slipping, but when I'm in the moment just sitting in class I just have the urge to purposely "rebel" against my teacher and not do my work or just talk to one of my friends instead of listening and paying attention.

I just don't understand why I have started acting and thinking this way or how I can get my self to stop thinking like this and again become the student teachers like and appreciate. Any ideas on whats happening? Thanks for reading!

Honey, it's time to take control again. And you know that. In fact, you solved your own problem when you wrote me. You acknowledged you were screwing up and you also realize that you need to get it together. So just do it!

You have control over your actions and you know you need to get back into shape. So get with it. Right now is not the time to mess up your future. You're going to be a senior soon and you don't want to ruin your chances at a great college career.

So, there's the lecture you needed to hopefully get back on track. But also know, it's pretty normal for a kid to get summer fever. You're so close to being totally done with school, it's natural for you to wanna goof off and just be done!

But you have to be responsible. So when those 'urges' arise, tame them and pull it back in. Everyone has to deal with wanting to do fun stuff instead of dealing with what they're supposed to be doing. And part of being an adult is understanding when it's OK to to play and when it's not. Sounds like you're starting to realize that. Now ... all you have to do is decide what to do with it.