Every day, students pack the halls of the high school and — whether they like it or not — they are here to learn. With learning comes a number of mental challenges. One of the largest of these challenges is academic pressure. 

Academic pressure can be placed by oneself or those surrounding them. SPUB as a whole feels pressure from both. 

“It mainly comes from two sources – family and myself. I have always been raised with the mindset to try your best in school because education is important, and it affects your future,” Kayley Tran, 12, said. “Although it can be good to have high expectations for yourself, I think students — me included — should never forget their mental health and personal limits.” 

Although Tran’s academic pressure has stemmed from pressure originally placed by their parents, other members of SPUB experience pressure strictly placed by themselves. 

“I pressure myself the most to succeed academically because I have such high expectations for myself and all of these fears of not being good enough and falling behind that lead me to being more stressed,” Olvia Schultze, 11, said. 

Whether it is pressure placed by yourself, your parents, or those surrounding you, it is important to not allow academic pressure to take over your mental health. 

“I feel like students and schools focus too much on test scores, grades, and achievements. While some of those do matter, I think humans should also emphasize healthy habits, character, and balance,” Wren Zerr, 10, said. “At the end of the day success is about who you are as a person and whether you are learning to work hard and be kind.” 

For members of SPUB, this balance comes in the form of having a positive mindset, balancing home and school life, and working closely with teachers to maintain good grades.