Academic Pressure

No doubt, school is tough. For some, it's the worry of being able to get enough credits to graduate high school, while for others it's being able to get a 4.0 GPA and get into Stanford. No matter what our goals are, we all struggle with a tremendous amount of stress and pressure. At school there is a range of academic pressure we feel, derived from a need for perfection, worry over grades, parental pressure, competition, sports, or a tough class load.Academic pressure does not begin in college. The nervous breakdowns, panic attacks, burnouts, and depression are also apparent in many younger students. The same situation is not always stressful for all people, and all people do not undergo the same feelings or off-putting thoughts when stressed. External forces also create academic pressure. Many of us fail in the subject of time management and excel at procrastination. The cure requires dedication and commitment. Some students just want to take the easy way out and cheat. They may have jobs after school to support their family or themselves, which carries a higher priority for them than school work. In the same context, many students feel that excelling in sports is a higher priority than school. Others may resort to cheating to make up for their lack of academic motivation or live up to the standards set up by older siblings or parents.There are many healthy ways to deal with academic pressure. If you don’t feel motivated about a subject, arrange a study group. Reward yourself after completing every section. I can speak from experience when it comes to that less-than-helpful sort of competition between my friends and me that, often times, has been the cause of much of my academic stress. For myself, I didn't want to let my parents or myself down by failing, but I also didn't want to fall below the standards of my friends. And when your friends are all in the running for being the class valedictorian, it’s hard! In my opinion it's important to set your own goals and take on your own responsibility. It's good to be proud of other's accomplishments, but it's important to be proud of your own hard work as well. So every once in a while, make sure to give yourself a pat on the back and stop stressing about wanting to be like someone else and just achieve what you can and be proud of your achievements because everyone is different and not everyone can be the best at everything!