Students leave school every day with piles of homework, lengthy to-do lists and newfound anxiety. The constant thought of getting good grades swirls around students’ brains. There will always be another test, another assignment or another project that needs to be completed, leaving no time for students to decompress.

Academic pressure weighs on students constantly throughout the year. This can lead to many mental issues for struggling students: anxiety, burnout, fatigue and much more. However, some students found ways to overcome these obstacles and push through the stress. 

“The worst part of academic pressure is trying to be perfect when doing anything. You feel the high demands for performing seamlessly, either from parents, friends, teachers or even yourself,” sophomore Alli Altenbaumer said. “You think that being anything below perfect will set you up for failure, and people will be disappointed in you.”

Sports and extracurricular activities can heavily impact students’ free time and only add to the pressure. 

“With my sports like cross country and track I have to work hard, but also, I have to balance my grades at the same time,” freshman Riley Witterstater said. “With the early morning practices to the late track meets, I find it hard to try to complete my homework/assignments in all eight of my classes.”

However, while the pressure from school can be difficult, there are many ways to make the struggle easier. 

“I deal with these academic pressures by making sure to have time to complete my assignments rather than watching TV or scrolling on my phone,” Witterstater said. “I usually set timers to do an assignment or I put my phone far away from me so I don’t get on it.”

Worrying about every assignment and grade can be very draining, leading students to feel the lingering effects of burn out. The best thing for students is to think more about what can help them and what they can do to improve. 

“I think the biggest piece of advice is to not worry about things outside of your control, because even if you do end up getting a bad grade, it’s not going to matter in five years,” sophomore Nirav Neupane said. “I think what will matter is the work ethic you build and the time you spend seeing what you are interested in.”

With all the negatives that come with academic pressure, some positives come out of the challenges.

“Academic pressure drives me to do my best and brings out the competitive side of me,” sophomore Chapel Telg said. “It also allows me to see how far I can push myself, seeing how much I can know and retain.”

Even with all the pressure that comes with doing work, the grade you make does not define you or who you are. 

“No matter how much work you have to do or how behind you are, just know that grades do not define the person you are on the inside. Being a good, kind, and truly caring person means so much more in a world where we as people lack these values that should be instilled in every person,” Telg said. “So, still try your hardest, but just because you have an 87 in a class doesn’t mean that you are less of a good, hardworking person than you were before.”