CHAIRPERSON: Assalammualaikum and hello.

Good morning to our English teacher, Mr

Gamini Chanderasana and all my fellow classmates. Im your chairperson, Siti Nurul Amirah
Afrina bt Sheikh Mohd Rosdi. Today our topic is Stress. Sustained over time, stress among
students can undermine health in serious and sometimes, deadly ways. In tough situations,
our strengths have the tendency to become our weaknesses. When handled improperly, stress
acts like kryptonite. It causes our superpowers to turn against us, and, if we're not careful,
they can even defeat us. Before we go further, let me introduce to all of you about our panels.
Our first panel is Nur Airina Khaleda bt Anuardi. While Nur Izzah Amila bt Mohd Asri is the
second panel. Hope all of you in the pink of health. Without wasting our time, my first
question to our first panel, Airina. Can you mentions to us about the causes of pressure
among Malaysians teenagers?
FIRST PANEL: Thank you, chairperson. If I had to say, peer pressure is one of the most
common reasons. When in high school, everyone is just trying to fit in. If you don't wear
jeans and a flannel, you're considered an outsider and not cool. The desire to fit in can go as
far as taking drugs or alcohol. Teenagers feel the need to belong to a group and have a circle
of friends with whom they can identify. The influence of peers and their desire to belong
would compel them to take up the habit or leave the group. This causes the pressure in them.
CHAIRPERSON: Thank you for your opinion, Airina. From that we can say that friends or
clique is one of many factors for stress among students. How about you, Izzah? What do
you think the factor of stress among teenagers nowadays?
SECOND PANEL: Well, to make matters worse, too much pressure is put on them by their
parents, as well as their teachers. They expect their children to excel by rushing them here
and there, everywhere and anywhere for extra classes and tuition just to ensure they score
straight As in public examinations. What is more surprising is this all begins at a very tender
age! It is always study, study and more study. No wonder they react in silent protest and
refuse to work hard.
CHAIRPERSON: Thank you for sharing with us, Izzah. Since stress is a part of life, it is
essential to learn how to deal with it. Yes, we can't avoid stress, but we can calibrate our
reaction to it. To make more our forum flare up, Airina, can you share tips for dealing with
stress?
FIRST PANEL: Under stress, we often make decisions more quickly and with less
informationa perfect storm for a disaster. The best way to avoid this trigger response is to

have a procedure in placeone that forces you to walk through the steps and get the
information you need prior to taking action. For example, you could keep your daily
organizer and plan your activities. Get your priorities straight and focus on things that are
really important. Do not get caught up on minor issues that only create additional work for
you. Proper planning also helps you avoid the stress of doing things at the eleventh hour.
CHAIRPERSON: So, we know that one of the ways we can prevent stress is by keeping
ourselves organized. Now, let us hear the opinion of our second panel.
SECOND PANEL: I will say, connect with others and take a break. Make an on-going effort
to talk to parents and teachers about concerns and ways to help you cope. Laugh with your
friends once in a while. You do not have to deal with problems alone. Take time to relax can
take your mind off things that bother you. After a short break, you will feel refreshed and
more able to tackle a problem or a piece of work. Of course, make sure that taking a break is
not an excuse for putting off your work. This would only causes you more stress when you
have to finish your working the end.
CHAIRPERSON: Yes, I agree with that. Thank you for your feedback, Izzah. As a
conclusion, stress may be unavoidable but it need not make life miserable. There are many
ways to reduce and deal with stress. Life will get better once stress is controlled. That is all
from us. Thank you for listening.