High School Students Under Pressure

Norwell is undoubtedly one of the best public high schools in the area. With unique classes such as Arabic I and II, SUPA (Syracuse University Project Advance) Latin and Spanish, as well as an abundance of AP classes available, Norwell has a diverse course selection available to its students. Norwell High is also unique that it requires four years of all core subjects, three of a foreign language, and four semesters of an art, while other schools in the area have much less demanding requirements for students. This creates a challenging environment for students here at Norwell, but to what end? Too often, I hear the phrase "that won't look good for college" or vice versa, "that will look so good on a college application." This "challenging environment" has created a culture based around college applications. Every opportunity that presents itself is weighed against how it will look on paper. For example, when students were presented with the opportunity to take two years of Arabic, which is only offered at one other public high school in the state, some were discouraged unless they wanted to double up on languages. While some high schools have no language requirement, Norwell's students are encouraged to take four years of the same language because it "looks good on a college application."

Some students feel the pressure to take two, or even three APs their junior and senior years at Norwell high. This year, a handful of students took two AP courses as sophomores. But how much can a high school student actually handle? A large part of our student body is involved with clubs, sports, drama, and other extra curricular activities. Many kids have decided to take on jobs as well. Factor in the eight hours of sleep a healthy teenager is recommended, and there's almost no time to relax, spend time with family, or engage in any type of social interaction. With the pressure to do well and create a high school experience that will look good on paper, classes have gone from being about learning to focusing on grades. Clubs have turned from interests, to something additional to stand out. Students have gone from doing what they want to do, to doing what they think they should do.

Some schools have begun to place limits on the number of APs a student can take depending on the grade they are in. These schools have recognized that for a student who is involved with the school outside of academics, such as in drama or sports, it is simply not reasonable to stack a schedule with AP and Honors courses. These schools have gotten behind the idea that a student should challenge themselves academically, while still having the time to involve themselves outside of academics, as well as have a healthy social and family life.

Also see Stress Portraits of Norwell here.