Wayne's World

Back to school, back to stress — one student’s view

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And so it begins! Those of us in high school have spent the last two months managing our own schedule and operating on our own free will. Well-rested and generally stress-free, we’re back in the cycle. The summer was fun, but we knew it wouldn’t last forever.

“I'm so stressed!” I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard classmates (and myself) utter this phrase.

According to a 2014 survey published by the American Psychological Association, only 15 percent of teens receive the amount of sleep their bodies need, sleeping an average of 7.4 hours on school nights and 8.1 on non-school nights. The National Sleep Foundation recommends at least 8.5 hours. Everyone is different, but it’s not easy to fulfill that quota! Juggling sports, AP courses, graduation requirements, clubs, homework, studying — all while maintaining a proper sleep schedule is nearly impossible for me. The APA survey found that teens reported that their stress levels during the school year exceed what they believe to be healthy, and tops adults’ average reported stress levels.

At this point, being tired and stressed has become a norm for my peers and I. Going to sleep at 3 a.m. due to studying for a tough algebra test isn't outrageous to us, it’s just how things are.

This is our culture — the American culture. Being overworked is a sign that you're doing things “right.” But the American culture of competition affects teens more than it may initially seem. Colleges are becoming increasingly selective and expensive, so students are devoting more time and energy to improve their grades. Rankings can become an obsession very easily.

High schoolers have been complaining about school since its inception, I'm sure, but new technology brings new stress. We can check our grades online whenever we want to. Our averages are recalculated instantaneously after a teacher inputs our newest homework, quiz, or test grade. According to Jim Flanagan, the chief learning services officer for the nonprofit International Society for Technology in Education, nearly all of America’s public schools now post grades online through student-management software. It’s very easy to become obsessed, and some students are frantically checking their progress reports every day. There's even a way to have alerts set up to notify you if your average drops by a decimal point.

I was one of those students who checked the portal every day. I had trouble managing my stress. I wasn't eating well, I was sleep deprived and I was obsessed with my GPA. It became this evasive, all-determining number.

Eventually, I realized that my mental health was more important, but the problem is that some students never come to this conclusion. Everyone has different tolerance for stress, but it seems like high school students underestimate the damage it can do to them.

We are stressed because we try to make ourselves perfect for college, but at what cost? What happens when the workload increases to the point that students simply cannot cope with it?

The Princeton Review and U.S. News, publishers of the most revered college rankings every year, do not consider high school GPA in their college ranking formulas. Evidence suggests that college admissions offices are steering away from the GPA, and more towards the college essay — where students are able to express themselves as people rather than numbers in a system.

For students facing these ordeals, my only advice would be to find your own ways to cope with stress. Eat healthy, put your phone down before bed and try to remain calm. Life goes on. Our GPA doesn't determine our value as people. The decisions we make today will influence our future selves, and that includes how we prioritize and handle stress when we’re challenged. A little perspective goes a long way.

Wayne Chen is a 15-year-old South High School student. Born in Mexico, he has been a Valley Stream resident for 11 years. When he's not in school he is either playing volleyball, running or writing. He aspires to one day be a successful writer.