With the task of balancing school, work, sports, and clubs while still squeezing in time for family and friends, high school students are under an immense amount of pressure.
It may seem like that pressure stems from parents, teachers, and the college admission process, but in reality it comes from the students themselves. High school students are tending to set higher and higher goals for themselves, which are sometimes unrealistic.
Many students set a goal of going to college to establish a successful career after high school. Whether it is taking all honors and AP classes, working two jobs, or staying up until two in the morning to study, these students will do anything to pass college admissions and raise money to pay for college.
The students of this generation expect themselves to be able to function like robots or superheroes.
According to Kathleen Giacini, counselor, part of the pressure comes from students watching the news and seeing the state of our economy. Students feel like they need to get a high-paying job so that they can make money and secure a comfortable life.
It is now considered the normal life path to graduate high school, obtain a college degree, secure a job and start a family afterwards. Twenty years ago only some students went to college, while others started working right after high school and skipped the college degree.
With so many students competing to get into universities, high school students feel the pressure now more than ever. They set high expectations for themselves and accept too many responsibilities.
Sure, there is pressure from parents to succeed, but what most students do not realize is that they put unnecessary pressure on themselves by trying to juggle honors and AP classes, multiple clubs, and sports.
According to Giacini, most students do not realize that there are many pathways of getting into college that do not require students to be so involved in extracurricular activities, volunteer work, etc.
It is good to be well-rounded, but trying to take on too much will just burn you out. Students should be able to enjoy their extracurricular activities and give 100% to all of the activities they choose to participate in, instead of 10% to each of the 10 they sign up for.
Many students who take honors and AP classes do not have time to spend with their friends or family. They even spend time on the weekends catching up on homework. Students have to rush through their homework in order to complete all of it and still have time for their other responsibilities. Sometimes students resort to cheating, because they must get the elusive A.
Students are also putting pressure upon themselves by constantly comparing themselves to their peers. They need to realize that academics are not a competition and that math might be easier for a friend than it is for them.
If you feel stressed with school and plans for the future, set up a meeting with your counselor and stay organized with a planner or some other method of organization and most importantly, remember to set aside time to have fun because, after all, you are just in high school.
So next time you feel overwhelmed, take a breather and realize that you can do anything you set your mind to without overwhelming yourself. It is ok if you drop one of your after school activities so that you can have more time for the ones you truly love to do and it’s not the end of the world if you fail one test.