Stress In High School Students

Students today spend the majority of their weekdays at schools which can result in stress due to many factors. It is important for students to learn to cope with pressure because it is an important skill for overall health. Grades can cause stress and anxiety in many ways. For example, a student that is receiving “bad” grades can have stress because they feel pressured by the teachers or parents to get better grades, and the student may feel that their peers are judging them because of their grades. On the other hand, a student who is receiving “good” grades may feel stress due to the pressure of maintaining their grades for the sake of their peer’s judgement and parent’s expectations. Sources of stress in schools include: Teacher Interactions, Academic Stress, Peer Interactions, and Academic Self-Concept (Helms and Gable 6). The manifestation of stress results in emotional, behavioral, or psychological distress (Helms and Gable 6). Grades are a factor in all of the sources mentioned, the student may feel the teacher disapproves of them, their peers don’t respect them, and their self-esteem will be impacted because of poor grades. This can result in behaviour and emotional issues which further the student’s insecurities and can cause psychological problems in the long term. Letter or percentage grades say nothing about these issues, it is very difficult to spot stress in children and the resulting behaviour due to stress can be misinterpreted if the parents and teachers are not made aware. Summary assessments can help detect stress in students, where the student can explain how they are feeling and the teachers and parents can detect high levels of stress. Test anxiety is another manifestation of stress in students today; unfortunately, many schools and teachers face a huge responsibility in which the students must perform well in order for teachers to keep their jobs and for schools to

Dr. Debra Koss ( child psychiatrist) believes that in our society today teens and parents face more stress and pressures than ever before. When a student acts up the first thought should not be punishment but what is going wrong in this young one’s life and how can it be helped. In Fund du Lac High School three hundred fifty-eight freshman out of six hundred thirty-two participated in mental health screening and sixty-four percent of the students tested were diagnosed with a mental illness. Many factors are contributing to this bad school environment ranging from overworked students, students ridiculing other students and faculty that genuinely do not care about the students. A teacher, who does not take interest in the students and does not do their best to make sure their students succeed, risks destroying their students confidence. 8,300 students drop out on a average day. These students say they drop because they don't feel safe, they can't keep up, they couldn't attend everyday or they did not have the confidence they would finish the class. Students everyday are either dropping out or hurting themselves because of the events that happen inside these school buildings. Forty percent of parents say children experience the most stress from academics. Chronic stress causes a sense of panic which causes more stress. “Despite whatever is going on -if you are a bit depressed, stressed, or overwhelmed you want to put up this positive

With over 2600 students in grades 9-12, and a caseload of 400+, maintaining and developing socially, emotionally, and balanced students can be a challenge when student abilities do not always match the expectations of stakeholders. Though my school is diverse, socioeconomic status is a contributing factor when it comes to expectations, college admittance, and overall student success. Socioeconomic status increases stress because parents expect their child to get into a top university, and many are not open to a community college, even if that is what would be best for the student. For these reasons, I have identified stress and anxiety as the identified critical need. Of last year’s graduating class, 92% attended a college or university, with 63% of those attending a four-year institution. In addition, our school administered over 550 Advanced Placement (AP) exams to 10th–12th

School-related stress has its roots in many different places. On a national scale, surveys and research have in fact confirmed that “school-related pressures were the primary source of stress for the majority of younger and older children” (qtd. in Blazer 2). Not long ago, kindergartens were places for children to play and learn basics, like the alphabet, but now all of it has changed to teaching kids about test taking, doing reading/writing exercises, and even homework (Blazer 4). In an article titled, “Success with Less Stress,” Jerusha Conner, an Assistant Professor of Education at Villanova University, and his partners conducted a study to find what students say about the causes of school stress. The research revealed that standardized tests, large assignments, and college admissions were very frequent answers. Exceeding competition has also caused stress among students because they feel the need to build the best résumé, and this leads to over-scheduled days (Redding). The modernization of the Collin’s theory states that, “the ‘overscheduling hypothesis’ embodies a more recent belief that it is the volume of activities that provides a boost in the application process and that students need

A new national survey suggests that teens across the US are feeling high levels of stress that they say negatively affect every aspect of their lives. More than a quarter (27%) say they experience "extreme stress" during the school year versus the minor 13% in the summer. 34% expect stress to increase in the coming

That can be easily attributed to a great support system at home. However, for some students their journey is a difficult one, full of obstacles. In Parkay’s third chapter titled “Today’s Schools” he states, “Increasing numbers of young people live under conditions characterized by extreme stress” (p.86). School has a tendency to be stressful on its own, regardless of grade level. To have stress from school, and then have stress from family at home can only make the learning process a whole lot harder. When one refers to stress it can have a variety of different meanings. Anything from being treated wrong to not getting enough food can lead to stress. The type of stress Parkay highlights is the stress put on children by lack of parental stability. He states, “10 percent were victims of other types of maltreatment, including threatened abuse, parent’s drug/ alcohol abuse, or lack of supervision (p.90). As cliché as it sounds, every student needs love and support from their parents. It is of great help when a student knows his/her parents support them and want them to

Nowadays there are so many problem in the schools of America. The biggest problem school faces is stress. Stress is a state of mental emotional strain or tension on the brain or body. One of the ways kids usually get stressed is from homework. Teachers today assign about one homework sheet for each class which means we get at least seven items of homework to take home a day. Another area of stress for students is grades. Students feel a lot of pressure from their parents and teachers to get good grades. If students don’t get passing grades, they have to redo the classes and this is very stressful. Finally, kids feel stressed because of all the pressure they get on the end of trimester or semester, all the teachers telling if you don’t

Once a student enters high school, that burden becomes heavier and heavier. Tests such as the SAT and ACT practically determine what college one wants to attend: if you do badly, then good luck. Just that can send any student wishing to get into just a community college into a spiral tightly wound with stress and anxiety. It is very easy for a student to get lost in the world of college applications, writing admission essays, and retaking standardized tests and forget about other things that are important, like their family and friends. Finding out that 90 percent of applicants to Harvard and Yale were denied in 2008, meaning the rate of acceptance has only gotten slimmer as the years went on, and that more and more students on the waiting lists for colleges got denied a spot doesn’t help, either. According to doctors and educators, stress due to academic achievement can lead to depression, eating disorders, and other mental health problems. As a junior in high school, these facts are startling to me and make me scared for when I start applying to colleges next year. I have wanted to go to college ever since I was a little girl. For some odd reason, it was a dream of mine to attend Stanford University in California. However, the stress that ensues following applying turns my hair grey. Even thinking about applying not just to Stanford, but to any college, gets my stress levels rising. I can’t even imagine high school seniors going through that right now. Along with having to apply for colleges, high school seniors also have to handle the day-to-day at school, which consists of lots of homework, tests, like the SAT, along with having a job, playing sports, participating in extracurriculars, and balancing a social life and a healthy relationship with their parents. All of this can fall heavily on a student’s shoulders, and the stress is unimaginable. Along with this,

I know stress very well. Last year I was a resource teacher for K-8. I was responsible for all standard curriculums in Kindergarten Language Arts, and Math curriculum for 5th, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade and all middle school Intensive periods. Stressful can not even begin to explain my day. Not only was it everyday stress of a normal teacher form administration, district and state level. Understanding the standards for each grade level and subject was a job in itself. All of my students are on standard diploma, all very low, and/or a behavior problem. This causes stress and mental anguish. The time stress of going at a slower pace, trying to choose material that covers the most in depth practice with breaking down each step because the students still adhere to the common assessments is stressful. For 60 minutes a day I had three grade levels working on grade level material. I would not wish that type of day on anyone, it is just simply too much. I have high expectations for myself as well and I

Now, how many of these students do not typically undergo an encouraging experience within America’s high schools is what’s unsettling. Flipping through 3 significant sources, what was most commonly reported as a typical mood of a High School adolescent was stress, being the most talked about characteristic. Sophie Bethune notes that “Teens report that their stress level during the school year far exceeds what they believe to be healthy (5.8 versus 3.9 on a 10-point scale)” (Teen Stress Rivals That of Adults, apa.org) while Dr. Rosalind Dorlen on another source mentions that a majority of the symptoms reported from adolescents experiencing an abundance of stress include “a high level of stress are persistent and ongoing anxiety and depression, elevations in blood pressure and other somatic complaints.” (High School Seniors and Stress, stress.lovetoknow.com).

One topic in psychology I find particularly interesting is the amount of stress that students in this generation are subjected to, specifically while in college. There are many reasons why this topic is interesting to me. The first and obvious reason is because I myself am a college student. Therefore, I have personally experienced the tremendous amount of stress that is put on students. I have also witnessed my friends and peers cope with this stress in various ways, some of which are healthy and some of which are not. I also am interested in this topic because I feel that it is universally an important topic. With the job market being so competitive, and the need for advanced degrees becoming commonplace, students are constantly focused on

It is an unfortunate reality of the 21st century that admission into college is no longer a natural and calm transition made by young students as they enter adulthood. The pressure of competition for academic excellence escalates rampantly throughout high school and multiplies ten-fold at the mention of standardized testing and college applications. It leaves students nervously exhausted by the time that the thought of college presents itself in the first place. The unfortunate reality of the American educational system as of 2015 is that all students suffer from some degree of admission-induced anxiety because high school is an environment that fosters in students an overwhelming and constant consideration for their futures, and it is part

There are numerous stress factors college students encounter while striving to complete their educational goals. Their grades may be affected by daily life situation stressors that accumulate throughout the semester. Students’ financial needs, lack of social support, family drama, and other various circumstances can all mount up to a tremendous amount of stress and may result in poor grades and lack of collected credits. In fact, stress continues to be a constant issue in people’s lives, (Holmes & Rahe, 1967; Viner, 1999) and these “life demands stressors” are unavoidable and can be overwhelming which directly or indirectly relate to individuals underperforming because of psychological and physiological symptoms

Anticipation of the unknown is a true explanation for most of a freshman’s anxiety upon entering high school. Is it anticipation? Compared to the feelings that are acquired throughout a student’s high school tenure and being a senior, most freshmen do not realize the great amount of work that lies ahead. The amount of homework, activity participation, sport participation and worries of achieving and maintaining a good grade develops tension. Though, throughout the years these students are molded-by their work, their parents, and their peers. So what do juniors and seniors in American high school deal with? What have their stress levels become-- and why?

A.Students in high school have large amounts of stress and most parents and teachers don't understand. The stress that high schoolers have change their behaviors, actions, and mentality. We are here to prevent the mental and physical stress on students to give them a stress free life.