Many students – like us – have complained about overwhelming workloads, sleepless nights, and tireless efforts to achieve success.
Yet at De Pere, teachers are giving excessive amounts of work as the school year progresses. Many students at DPHS have weighed in on how they feel towards the academic expectations that are in place.
We interviewed Emma Crowell, Student Council President and senior at De Pere High, as well as Brooke Karcz, a junior and member of the De Pere Swim team. They expressed that they have been feeling stressed for various reasons. Whether those reasons are finals, extracurricular activities, or college preparation, everyone knows that school is stressful. As freshmen who are involved, we agree, and anyone who says school doesn’t affect their stress levels is lying.
AP classes are supposed to provide a more advanced course, but sometimes it feels like it’s just a class that is there to give an infinite amount of work. We take an AP class, and we both feel that we’re constantly working on it. This is hard for any student with a packed schedule to manage. Karcz said that she takes 4 AP classes.
“My hardest year has been this year,” she added. “During swim season, I don’t practice until 6 at night, so I have to do my homework right after school.”
After she spends seven hours at school and does homework for at least two more, she then spends three hours at practice. This is a glimpse into the average student-athlete’s life.
Crowell, who spends most of her time setting herself up for college nowadays, said, “I think senior year is more stressful just because you have to figure out college stuff, and in-school stuff, along with the rest of the things going on in my life. School adds on to it.”
We clearly already have so much on our plates, from jobs and college apps to clubs and sports; how much more can we take?
Crowell also added, “When finals or the AP tests come around, my stress levels rocket up to an 8-10. It’s really stressful for me, at least. I think it’s just because I care.”
This goes to show how overworked students are whenever testing season comes around.
“My stress level is probably like a 7 or 8; it’s much more than normal,” Karcz explained.
Crowell and Karcz are like many other students who care about their grades. Being in a sport, club, or activity requires us to keep our grades up, which means that when the school season comes around, we are all worried.
Teenagers are expected to uphold a social life, continue to have good grades, along with being in extracurricular activities. But how much can we take? How much stress is too much for us to handle?
School is definitely a huge factor in students’ stress levels. Everyone has experienced some sort of stress at some point in high school. Even if people try to hide it, it’s easy to spot a stressed person – the constant zoning out, bouncing knees, nail biting, it is all a sign.
Maybe students who aren’t stressed at all just don’t really care about school. Though for those who care, we understand.
We understand when a homework assignment slips from your mind, when your mind feels like it’s running in circles.
We understand when you have to scramble to get things done, and procrastination gets the best of you.
And we understand when school stresses you out to the point where it is the only thing on your mind.
