The ultimate teen struggle. Photo illustration courtesy of Kennedy Beltram.
Many San Luis Obispo High School students find that junior year is the year when things unexpectedly get real. The future is no longer an abstract idea to ponder, it’s a reality one needs to figure out … and soon. High school is known as the bridge between childhood and college life. Most high school students would agree that elementary and middle school were relatively slow paced. Then, freshman and sophomore year, things begin to speed up for the underclassmen. And junior year comes around and all of a sudden students are in the fast lane. Most juniors would argue that teachers are less lenient, lessons get harder, and it seems almost everyone is asking them about college.
“Pretty much every conversation I have with any adult is about college. They ask where I want to go and what I want to study,” said junior Sophia Mueller.
For upperclassmen, one of the main subjects of small talk is college and the future. Although many juniors are still figuring things out, most adults they interact with in their home life seem to expect them to know all the answers. This can occur in schools, too. One year students are picking out electives based on interests, and the next, class choices are based on what correlates with a student’s chosen career.
“I also felt pressure the last trimester of sophomore year. All of a sudden I was supposed to pick classes that would influence my college applications and career,” said Mueller.
College isn’t the only subject of importance for juniors. Good grades are also seen as extremely crucial. The pressure of a student’s future weighs heavily upon them based on their GPA.
“I think the most difficult thing is that you have to get very good grades now, because you want to get a higher GPA to get into college. Now you have to study a lot more,” said senior Kiara Lopez.
Being an upperclassman consists of studying, doing homework, and worrying about grades. The added pressure can be a lot for students. In the recent Youth Truth Survey, it was revealed that 54 percent of SLOHS students said they are feeling depressed, stressed, and/or anxious. That means that more than half of students are dealing with mental health issues. This could be partly caused by school. At the very least, it likely makes school more difficult.
“School puts a huge strain on mental health. When there’s tests and finals it drives my anxiety up,” said junior Mitch Damron.
Whether it’s anxiety about college, grades, or the future in general, SLOHS students might benefit from taking a well deserved deep breath. Students should try their best, study hard, realize that that’s all they can do, and let the rest work itself out.
Source: youthtruthsurvey.org