Academic pressure affects student relationships, mental health

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The stress from school varies largely by the student’s grade. Lee expressed that the additional workload that comes with demanding courses also seems overburdening at times.

“I definitely value studying more than I did [my] sophomore year [because] junior year is [the] year that defines most of your grades for college,” junior Hayoung Lee said. “[And] I’m taking so many more classes that are rigorous.”

Moreover, many juniors and seniors often take up parttime jobs for various reasons from saving up for college to covering personal expenditures. More often than not, these jobs require students to dedicate a significant amount of their time to working a minimum number of hours or shifts, making it difficult to strike a balance between work, school, and other social commitments.

“In the first semester, I had a job and it was extremely hard to balance [school and work],” Lee said. “Even at work, [during] any spare time that I had, I

[would] try my best to dedicate it to studying. [When] I quit [my job] and focused more [on studying], it [was] definitely a lot easier.”

Furthermore, social factors play a significant role in academic stress as comparison between peers can unintentionally make the learning environment competitive.

“I feel like I’m always comparing myself [to] other people in my classes,” Green said. “[So] there’s always a competition [and] it does add some pressure [to do well].”

The Role Of Relationships

But having positive social interactions with friends who can empathize has helped Lee and many other students de-stress and elevate their motivation.

“When there’s such a large workload, you often feel really confused or lost on where to even begin, [making the deadlines] very pressuring and scary,” Lee said. “But because you have so many people around you that are going through the same thing [and] taking so many of the [same] classes, it’s easy to talk it out [and] get help.”

Additionally, having support from her family and being able to confide in them has provided Lee a sense of reassurance and self-confidence, while also reducing the stress she faces due to academics.

“My parents are very uplifting [and] easygoing; my dad always makes it abundantly clear that he does not care what grades I get and that it does not define what he thinks about me,” Lee said. “ It’s really hard to feel down in an environment like that.”

Coping With Stress

From taking power naps to scrolling on social media to simply hanging out with friends, there are multiple ways of decompressing.

“I usually leave the house by reading a book or watching shows. It takes [my] mind off of all these other things in the real world [and gives] me a break,” Gu said.

While different people destress in different ways, Green’s passion for mountain biking helps him relax and disconnect from stressors.

“I like to go [mountain] biking,” Green said. “There’s not really mountains here, but there [are] some extra cool trails [to bike at] whenever I [am trying] to relieve stress.”

Green also noted that staying organized while trying to meet deadlines can help reduce stress.

“I use the Notes app on my phone [to make a list of] the things that are [my] top priority, and then these longterm projects that I’m working on,” Green said. “[Staying] organized helps me keep track of what I need to do and what needs to get done first.”

Lee and many others further expressed that managing academic stress is possible when students are intrinsically motivated and learn to strike a balance between school, social life and extracurriculars.

“It builds character in a sense [that] I have to be responsible for whatever I do because there’s not someone that’s keeping me accountable for these things,” Lee said. “I have to depend on myself and my drive to get better scores.”