As teens enter high school, they’re told by adults and cliché movies alike that it will be the best years of their life. But what they’re not told about are the sleepless nights, academic pressure, and social stress that come along with the so-called glory days.
Oftentimes, high school is not the best four years of one’s life, and San Luis Obispo High School is no exception.
With so much emphasis placed on being the top of one’s class, it is no surprise that students are bent over with all the pressure of succeeding.
“Often, good grades in classes are linked with being smart, and while that may be true, sometimes some people don’t test well or learn differently. There have been several times when I am more focused on getting an A than learning the material,” said senior Hannah Fowler.
While students themselves become lost in the whirlwind of homework assignments and exams, they often lose their grip on their well-being too.
“I struggle getting enough sleep because I spend so much time on my academics,” said sophomore Paloma Dandurand.
Aside from increasingly competitive academics, teens are forced to take on social issues and personal issues. For a lot of high school students, these difficulties significantly lower the value of their time on campus. Twenty percent of youth ages 13 to 18 deal with a mental illness, which serves to heighten the discomfort and fears that accompany the stress of both growing up and going to school.
Students certainly still experience fear even if they aren’t diagnosed with a mental disorder. High school is simply a time where kids are discovering themselves and juggling their life, schoolwork, and friendships simultaneously.
“I have struggled the most with feeling comfortable meeting new people and opening up to others. I think as teenagers we are very perceptive about how other people view us, and for a few years in high school I really felt like I didn’t fit in,” said Fowler.
“If students are unable to balance all commitments, the stress may create negative memories from high school,” said junior Amanda Sirois.
While there are plenty of individuals who cruise through high school while making new friends and excelling in their classes, it doesn’t mean that they never struggle. Rallies, sports games, and hanging out with friends can help construct fond memories, but every student is destined to have a bad day. The degree to which students have these struggles simply varies.
From academic stress to societal experiences to self-discovery, everyone has their lows. High school is a time where these things are amplified, causing teens to be caught underneath vast amounts of pressure. This pressure is the side of teens’ lives that movies sugar-coat, neglect, or even glorify. And while high school is accompanied by seemingly endless struggles, it’s important to look for small victories. So, don’t worry that it’ll be bad forever—you’ll get through it.
