It’s 11:45pm. A student is finishing their homework after practice, sending emails for a club they lead, and trying to study for a test the next day. In just a few hours, they’re going to have to wake up and do it all over again. For many high schoolers, this isn’t unusual. It’s expected. The pressure students have to be well-rounded has turned into a constant act of balancing academics, extracurriculars, and leadership roles, all for college applications. What was once meant to encourage involvement has turned into an unspoken requirement to do everything and more.
Balancing multiple AP classes, sports, clubs, and leadership roles has become a norm. Many students say their schedules feel anything but manageable. Between academics and extracurriculars, free time is the first thing to disappear. While schools promote “getting involved,” students themselves are starting to question whether the expectations placed on them are realistic.
“Good grades aren’t enough to get into a good college anymore, and now we need to do every extracurricular [activity] possible, too,” said an anonymous Tolog.
The mindset of doing anything and everything to get into college has created an environment where being busy equals being successful. Several students with packed schedules are often praised for their dedication and hardwork, meanwhile those who choose to do fewer commitments are often feeling like they aren’t doing enough.
Behind this facade of productivity, many students have reported that they feel overwhelmed, burnt out, and constantly under pressure.
“Yes, I often feel very burnt out, especially as the year comes to an end. Being burnt out, for me, looks like putting off all my work until the last minute, and becoming more ‘lazy’, even though I have a good understanding that I need to get something done,” said another anonymous Tolog.
Part of this problem of being “burnt out” is how early the pressure to be an involved student starts. For many, building a strong college application begins long before their senior year. By the time students reach their senior year, they already have jam-packed schedules with endless commitments.
Another part of this problem is social media. Online, students are constantly exposed to other students that showcase their achievements, roles in clubs, and their busy schedules. While sometimes these posts can motivate you, most of the time, students are feeling discouraged and that they need to keep adding to their own list of accomplishments.
“Yes, [I often feel the pressure to be a well-rounded student], because I go to a school packed with intelligent, hard-working students, and especially because college is coming closer, I have a lot of pressure to be the best student I can, participate in multiple different activities, and get the best grades,” said an anonymous Tolog.
At the same time, the definition of success has become pretty narrow. Instead of being able to focus on personal growth and partaking in activities that someone is passionate about, success today is measured by how many things people are doing and how full their schedules are.
“[Having so many things to do] causes me to stay up late, wake up early, and overall cause my sleep schedule to get worse and worse,” said a Tolog. “Because I tend to lose sleep on busy nights and weeks, my stress levels increase exponentially.”
While being involved in school and activities is important, current expectations raise the question of at what point does being involved become over-whelming?
The push to be a well-rounded student may need to be reconsidered. Instead of encouraging students to do everything and more, it may be more valuable to let them focus on activities that actually interest them. If success is measured by how much a student can do, it then turns into prioritizing quantity over quality. Schools should make sure they focus on supporting students’ well being and helping them pursue what actually matters to them.
