High School. Some people love it, some people hate it. But when it comes down to it, how does it affect the everyday teenager’s mental health? 

Data from Mental Health America, collected over the course of 2022 show many more teens struggle than one would think. One in every five students could be diagnosed with at least one mental health condition. Two-thirds of these students never reach out for help. The teenage mind is a very complex thing, and to even begin to gauge how it truly works, the best thing to do is to ask the teenagers themselves. 

Claire Vos (‘25) is a proficient tenth-grade student at Plainwell High School, taking classes such as AP US History. When asked if she thinks school heightens her stress she said, “Yes. You have to think about it all of the time, and all of the stuff going on outside of it, and the work. I can’t sleep because I think about having to go to school the next day,” Jayden French (‘25), another tenth-grader at Plainwell similarly said, “Yeah, it does decline my mental health. I’m really stressed and I can’t think straight,” It’s not just Vos and French who feel this way. Out of all the people asked, 100% said school heightens their stress. 

So, why do so many students feel so stressed out during school? When asked what they would change about school if they could, John Amaezechi (‘25), another tenth-grade student at Plainwell said, “If I could change one thing, I would make it (school) start later, and end sooner,” Sophia Barth (‘25), in the same grade, said, “When we start in the morning. My brain isn’t awake yet; if I get up at 6:30, my brain isn’t awake ‘til like 8:00,” Vos said, “We’re at school for seven hours, and then we’re given extra work after that and it takes up most of my day; it’s the same thing on repeat,” Too much time spent at school, and not enough time to adequately complete homework was the most common answer to this question.

Vos also attributed heightened stress to poor teaching. “I think some of my teachers don’t know how to teach effectively, and it makes it a lot harder when I have to teach it to myself,” The previously discussed issues do not even mention the struggles of being a student-athlete. “By the time I’m home and done with practice it’s really late and I’m exhausted and I just don’t do my homework,” She said about managing time as a student-athlete. Other student-athletes, such as Amaezechi who plays basketball, baseball, and soccer, agreed with Vos.

So what can be done to change this? To solve the problem, we have to address the contributing factors; lack of time, poor teaching, and too much work. As students, it may seem like there’s not much within your grasp to change this, but if a real effort is put in, a positive change could be made. To combat poor teaching, you can communicate with your teachers about your struggles understanding their lessons, and attempt to work with them to make the class more personal and productive to you. In regard to time management, communication is also key. Tell your teachers when you know you won’t have time to complete work, or when you know you are becoming overwhelmed. Lastly, don’t be afraid to reach out for help; no matter what, your own mental health is the most important thing.