It is a general fact that most high school students have a lot on their plates. The fear of inadequacy is ever-present, and the quest to embody the proverbial well-rounded student can seem impossible at times.
In valiant efforts to reach their potential, students take multiple, challenging AP courses. They work tirelessly to maintain their GPA, slaving away at a desk completing homework into the early hours of the morning. Some find the time while others flounder in an endless sea of assignments.
The time investment required to take rigorous, college-level coursework is considerably large. School can easily dominate students’ lives. Day in and day out, new stressors are built into the same mundane routine, which can encapsulate students’ lives.
The loss of self in favor of academic achievement and the desire to achieve perfection is a real threat. Furthermore, it is a silent struggle to remain positive and appreciate the basic privileges that we enjoy each day.
There is a sense of negativity attached to school that was never meant to exist. Education is a privilege and should be appreciated. When the work becomes a burden, however, it becomes difficult to see the goodness in the situation.
How healthy is this, really?
Sleep deprivation is the norm, especially when juggling after-school extracurriculars. It often becomes an unspoken competition of who can sleep the least and accomplish the most.
Are students at Edison High School truly managing the workload or only accumulating its adverse effects on their psychological state?
Acknowledging the difficulty of the demanding AP course is not always easy. The general attitude is either to steamroll through the exhaustion or to “tweak out” for a moment and continue moving forward. Testifying to hardship often brings down morale and creates disinterest. Most people have already accepted their conditions.
The difficulties of schoolwork are merely a part of life. Challenges will always exist. Even so, at what cost must they be overcome?
Moreover, is there a way to find balance?
The importance of time management cannot be understated—hide your phone, get a planner, carve out designated study times. There will undoubtedly be days when sleep is neglected for the sake of an assignment. The only option is to continue moving forward.
Pressure can be relieved or managed through connecting with others. Oftentimes, people struggle in silence, never truly feeling as if they can or should express themselves. Ask for help when necessary. Never suffer alone.
