Detroit Cristo Rey senior Roberto Nunez says if he’s lucky, he logs four or five hours of sleep per night. Most would be alarmed by such a short amount of shut-eye, but for high school students, it can be typical.
Teens are supposed to get nine and a half hours of sleep, according to nationwidechildrens.org.
However, with eight long classes, extracurriculars, and homework in almost every class students are used to four to five hours of sleep.
On top of lack of sleep, seniors biggest stressor is college. We all want to go. We want to do what our parents couldn’t. We want to be able to say we made it out. We want to be somebody.
Well, try having to apply to college on top of all that work. Definitely not an easy task.
Are students supposed to not do homework for two or three of your classes so you can have more time to finish your applications? Or are they supposed to skip practice to do your homework?
Students are sleep-deprived, frustrated, and most importantly--stressed.
“I’m stressed the most in school, I’ve been applying to colleges and I haven’t been accepted to any yet. The teachers help but they’re not much help when I have to teach myself the material” said senior, Daniela Lugo.
Stress is a very serious mental strain that can be caused by negative and exhausting work. In a study done by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 78 percent of teens said that school is their source of stress.
School can be competitive and exhausting work. Not all students are the same, but the pressure to be perfect is still there.
“It’s frustrating. I don't want to be bothered and I want to give up” said senior Saubir Logan.
Most seniors thought the last year of school was supposed to be fun, but some students are so consumed with their schoolwork that they can’t enjoy the weekends.
“I don’t do much on the weekends, because it would be hard to get to think about that and school work,” said Nunez.
For seniors, this is their last year of high school. They shouldn't be dealing with stress and wanting to give up. They should be preparing for college and taking the year into their own hands.
Stress forces us to cross out what we think is fun or entertaining. We want to give up. We want to quit. However, stress has a negative impact on our psyche which encourages a fixed-mindset.
The biggest problem is time.
“If we had more time, I would be able to get things like homework done, instead of trying to get to school early and doing it in the morning.” said Logan.
Yet, time seems to not exist when you have to be at school at before 7:30, a test first hour, a project due in second hour, “suggestions” which are really homework in third hour, another test in fourth hour, a skit in fifth hour, apply to scholarships in sixth hour, translations due in seventh hour, and a spread due in eighth hour. But, it doesn’t stop there, you have extracurricular period for homework help and to attend club meetings. Then, school's out at four and you have practice at five.
However, there is a solution to reduce some of this overwhelming work.
Accepting that you cannot control everything gives your situation perspective, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Don’t skip meals, and when you do eat, make it balanced. Talk to someone, teachers, counselors, and friends help you see the bright side of the situations. Get enough sleep because when you’re stress your body needs additional hours of sleep. And finally, learn what triggers your anxiety to find a pattern.
Students, like Logan and Nunez, have found that playing their favorite sport, helps reduce the stress that’s built up.
“When I play basketball, everything goes away for a little while. It helps me get my mind off things,” said Logan.
