The American high schooler is all too familiar with the draining schedule of school, extracurriculars, sleep, repeat. The idea of kicking back on the weekends never even crosses their minds. Who has time for being a teenager when the adults in their lives are harassing them about college and SAT scores? The focus of school has shifted from becoming an educated citizen to a cutthroat competition to be the perfect student. 

           The pressure to excel academically has become simply too much to handle. Combined factors like stress and a heavy workload have made it impossible for students to get the necessary nine to ten hours of sleep recommended by the CDC.  

           An average day for a high school student goes something like this: waking up far before their inner clock is ready, sitting still for seven hours while having information drilled into their head, struggling to finish the multitude of assignments and homework, and spending a few hours at whatever extracurricular activity they participate in. This leaves little time to rest and recuperate.  

           A study on high school students’ sleep quality, done by BMC Psychology in March of 2025, found that “Academic stress negatively impacts sleep quality and subjective well-being.” 

           Many teenagers would be quick to agree that academic stress is a major factor in their life.  

           Ann Upchurch, a junior, says “Everyone makes me so stressed about my future and school,” she said. “I’m constantly being asked questions about my grades and college, and I don’t know any of the answers.” 

           We polled 47 students about how different factors of school affect their feelings of stress. We asked them how many hours they spend on homework a week, and 50% of respondents answered five or more. While that response seems manageable, as it is only an hour or more a day on homework, it is important to consider other factors. 

           Seven hours of their day are already spent completing assignments, taking tests or quizzes, and even trying to do homework when they have free time during class. Now factor in the extracurricular activities most teenagers participate in.  

           The same group of ninth through twelfth graders polled in the survey all do one to three activities outside of school. Whether it is a club or a sport, these things take up at least two to three hours a day. 

           When we asked students whether those extracurriculars get in the way of homework, 50% of respondents replied “Very often” and 30% said “Always.” 

           Regardless of whether students finish their activities at 6 PM or 10 PM, there is only so much time in a day, and there’s only so much a teenager can take.  

           As soon as they get home, they have to eat dinner, do chores, and get ready for bed. All of which are things they cannot skip. Then, they are expected to do an hour or more of homework when their body is tired and aching for rest. 

           Some would argue that since these extracurriculars are optional, they are bringing this stress upon themselves. And while that is technically true, it is common knowledge that there is absolutely no chance of getting into a top-rated school without participating in activities outside of school. “Be well rounded, participate in extracurriculars, showcase your leadership,” are the very first things any guidance counselor tells a high school student aspiring to get into a respectable college. 

           For a lot of students, these extracurriculars are no longer about passion. Students are often recommended to take a leadership role in a club they barely care about, simply to check a box. And if a student were to pursue just one club or sport they really care about, they would be overlooked by those who are constantly accumulating activities. 

           The “tyranny of the transcript” has created a cruel paradox. A system meant to prepare students for a successful life is actively destroying their curiosity, mental health, and capacity for joy. It is necessary to find the purpose of high school again. It should not be a four-year-long application process; it should be a place for genuine learning. 

           High school should be about discovering how to think, not what to think. It should emphasize learning for the sake of knowledge, where students are given time and space to develop genuine critical thinking skills that will serve them in whichever life path they choose. 

           High school should be the stage where a teenager has the unburdened time to discover and cultivate personal passions, even if those passions do not neatly translate into a bullet point on a résumé. A student who spends ten hours a week perfecting their skills in one area is better prepared for life than one who takes part in a dozen superficial activities for the sole purpose of signaling “well-roundedness.”