Stress in School By Shaelin Murphy

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                      With school starting up again everyone is talking about the stress that is coming our way. Last year, it felt like everyone was stressed out about schoolwork, tests, and assignments all the time, and summer was such a nice break from that. The transition from a relaxing summer to a stressful school year has not been easy for anyone. The amount of stress that students experience throughout the school year has become unreasonable due to the amount of assignments and the pressure put on students to succeed. Sometimes it seems like school isn’t even about learning, but about memorizing enough information to pass the test, and then forgetting it all. 

Of course, it is reasonable for students to feel some stress during the school year which psychologists refer to as “good stress.” Small amounts of stress from sports, upcoming tests, and figuring out the future are positive and prepare students for the “real world”. However, it is being found that high schoolers are experiencing unhealthy amounts of stress as a result of school. Researchers at NYU did a study of stress in teens and found that it is a concern that students may “get burned out before they even reach college.” One of the purposes of high school is to prepare students for college or whatever they choose to do after high school, not destroy their motivation and mental health before they can even get there. The study surveyed high school students and found that 48% of them reported having more than three hours of homework per night, after an approximately seven hour school day, it is unreasonable to give students an additional three hours of work. Additionally, 49% of students reported that they feel a great deal of stress on a daily basis because of school work and what is expected of them. Students should not be feeling overwhelmed with school work, it should be about learning information and preparing them for the future. 

There are so many different solutions that could change the lives of high school students all around the country, and make school a more positive experience. Instead of focusing on grades and GPAs, schools should focus more on the actual learning. Schools emphasize GPAs so much, and it makes students feel like how smart they are is defined by one number, and that’s not how it should be. When schools focus on GPAs and grades so much, especially when it comes to class ranks, students get stressed out, and feel a lot of pressure to get perfect grades, and often forget what school is all about. If schools take the focus off of grades, students lives will improve and they will learn more and get more out of school.
          

Comments

  1. DanielleSeptember 20, 2019 at 8:31 AM

    Stress is a huge issue! I liked how you added some resources and some research on the topic !

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 20, 2019 at 9:05 AM

    I stress so much throughout the school year!! I agree, transitioning from summer to school isn't easy, and I have been struggling with it! Studying for tests, maintaining good grades, and going to every practice and game is very stressful! I hope that I get used to it again and don't stress as much as I did freshman year!! Your research was great, nice job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 20, 2019 at 8:25 PM

    I totally agree that schools need to focus more on learning. It is very unpleasant to have loads of information shoved at you at a fast pace, and then we are tested on this information that we do not understand. As my poem said, "Sometimes it would be easier to quit."

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2019 at 10:46 AM

    I also find the school year to be very stressful, having to balance a six hour school days, sports, and then more work when we get home. I love that you added facts because that helped me realize that I'm not the only student who experiences a ton of stress during the school year!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2019 at 2:06 PM

    I completely agree with this. There's a point where stress goes from a reasonable amount to an excessive amount. It does make sense to have stress in our lives because no matter what it will always be there, but to be so stressed out to the point where we expect it daily and, like you mentioned, before we've even actually gotten passed high school makes it seem very extreme.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2019 at 8:13 AM

    I definitely agree that stress is a huge issue in our high school. Just recently I found my self up until 11:00 studying and preparing for the three tests I had the next day and finishing the two essays that were due. This day was not unique and I am sure I'll experience many like it throughout this school year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2019 at 11:47 AM

    I totally agree that school is really stressful. All of the stress from an absurd amount of homework and grades could definitely be eliminated.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousSeptember 30, 2019 at 5:56 PM

    So true! Stress is a serious issue in high school, and something needs to be done about it. The amount of homework being assigned to each student is absurd.

    ReplyDelete

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