For somebody who enjoys learning, I really hate school. Not because I have to wake up early, or because of the people there, but because of the pressure that is put on me. I think I can speak for every student out there: the American education system just expects too much of us.
In essence, high school is all about getting us ready for college. With that being said, the amount of pressure placed on each individual is insane. There's certain test score criteria we have to meet in order to be seen as "college ready". For some of us, those scores are basically impossible because no matter how much we study, we will never be able to get that score because we're just naturally bad test takers. These tests make us feel if we don't match those standards, we will never be able to be accepted into any college. There's also the idea that we have to try to challenge ourselves with AP and honors classes, and if we choose to stay on the general track, we are judged and once again told that colleges won't look at you because you did not challenge yourself enough.
Teachers bombard us with impossible amounts of homework, and let's not forget to mention all the tests we have to study for. Also, we are in school for eight hours, plus the extra time we put in for extracurricular activities to ensure our resumes look appealing. It's exhausting! We have no time to explore our own wants and needs because we are too focused on what we need to get done and not what we need to stay sane.
School messes with our mental health. Imagine a student with a debatable mental state; now imagine all the homework and pressure placed on them. When all this happens, this student gets stressed out to the point that they don't even want to get out of bed. What's the point of getting an education if it's going to leave you riddled with panic attacks or coming home crying? They'd rather stay home and relax and catch up on what they weren't able to finish the night before than go to school and be overwhelmed by all they have to do. They can't even unwind on the weekends because they have innumerable tests to study for plus projects and papers.
Nobody has the capacity to catch up with what the education system is expecting from us. There's only 24 hours in a day, and all they want from us: tests, college applications, studying, homework, projects, good social and mental lives, it takes more than that. There would probably have to be around 48 hours a day, or more, in order to gain that. Challenging ourselves is one thing, but struggling to keep up from one unnecessarily stressful day to another is burning ourselves out.
We have to find a way to fix this. If not for ourselves, than for the next generation. School is supposed to be a time to grow and discover your interests, not a time to exhaust yourselves. But for now, take it one step at a time and don't worry too much about the expectations. Work on your own abilities. Your education is important, but so is your sense of self.
