Audrey Folia | Head Editor
May 1, 2025
With AP tests on the horizon and finals soon after, the environment at SCHS is tense. While students were once enjoying spring break and looking toward summer, most are now stuck studying in their rooms all day and getting little sleep, which leads them to return to school stressed out and tired.
Though it is true that AP tests and finals are something that occur every year, there is a sort of palpable anxiety this year that seems worse than it has in the past. For example, Sophomore Taylor Ball commented that “everyone just seems so stressed right now, myself included. It’s like even though finals happen every year, there’s something in the air really elevating everyone’s nerves.” She went on to say that she “can’t even name a person who doesn’t seem on-edge, except maybe the seniors.”
So, what exactly is the reason for the heightened anxieties this year? For one, the competitiveness of colleges and declining acceptance rates is something that has been highly publicized as of recently, especially with factors such as SAT test scores becoming mandatory again for many colleges, the defunding of The Department of Education, and, on a more local level, seniors’ discussions at SCHS about how their college applications went.
Another important factor would be the state of America after Trump’s first 100 days back in office. When one area of life is stressful, it is very easy for that stress to seep into all areas of life. And, with talks of trade wars and declining foreign relations, it’s clear there is a global uneasiness right now that has the potential to put students on edge.
Or, perhaps it’s just a coincidence that almost every teacher seems to be ramping up the workload this year. Junior Ashton Anderson, for example, described his typical day as “trying to study and finish the homework that the teachers keep assigning.” Leading him to “barely have any time to sleep.” With multiple teachers retiring and others switching to new subjects, it simply could just be the case that teachers don’t realize the workload being thrown onto students and are still trying to get a hang of things themselves.
No matter the cause, the effects of this stress are evident and concerning. More than ever, students are determining their own self-worth based ob their GPAs and test scores. So, when one doesn’t perform as well as they would like to, it creates negative feelings of failure and self-doubt. Naturally, feelings of nervousness and anxiety fill the student before they even take a test. Though SCHS has programs like “Perfection is an Illusion” and offers tutoring for students who need help, there needs to be more done to reassure students that they are not defined by their grades. Something needs to change, because too many students are struggling with their mental health due to the anxieties and pressures placed on them.
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