In the Bay Area, extreme academic stress has stopped being seen as a problem but has become an expectation. Academic stress has become so normalized here, that students, parents, and community members no longer recognize the damage it causes.
This environment has contributed to the burnout students are experiencing, as constant pressure has negatively impacted them outside of the classroom.
It has also led to sleep deprivation, anxiety, and sadness which lead to a drop in motivation. According to the APA, approximately 27% of teens report very extreme levels of stress during their school year.
Some educators and parents dismiss student stress as a lack of resilience rather than a mental health issue. Many students think one low grade will deliver a fatal blow to their GPA, a consequence they view as irreversible, while they view their mental health as something they can repair later.
The school could potentially reduce the stress by having later start times and coordinated deadlines. The later start times align better with the teens’ sleep cycles. Coordinated deadlines focus on ensuring that major tests do not all fall on the same day.
Ms. Saldivar, the Wellness teacher at Washington, said that while wanting students to succeed is a motivating factor, intense academic pressure can negatively impact students’ mental health and motivation. Some common signs that a student may be feeling overwhelmed include difficulty focusing on tasks, procrastination, loss of motivation, and self isolation. Some advice she gives to the students that have been struggling is to manage stress by focusing on one thing at a time, building supportive friendships, and concentrating on things within their control. She also emphasized that students should not feel embarrassed or hesitant to ask for help when they begin to feel overwhelmed. Academic pressure can build up very quickly, especially when the students try to handle everything on their own. She reminds us that seeking guidance is a sign of strength rather than lack of capability. If students reach out to mentors and peers early the students can have less stress rather than waiting until they start to feel overwhelmed.
Reaching out to the teachers, counselors, or trusted adults can help students feel supported and less isolated. Taking breaks, setting realistic goals, and prioritizing mental health are important steps in managing stress. When students recognize their stress early it can help them manage their academic performance while protecting their overall well being. Because the students are constantly fighting to keep their grades up, they often fall into ‘Stanford Duck Syndrome.” This means that they must appear effortlessly calm on the surface, even while they are paddling underneath to stay afloat. A study by Stanford has shown that students that are in high achieving schools are now categorized as “at risk” with rates of anxiety and depression that are “three to seven times higher than the national average.”