Hours upon hours of studying in a confined room, high school students in our society are burnt-out, but it seems like just yesterday when we began preschool as curious and energetic children. What changed? Is the high school education system taking over adolescent life? And how can we tackle this issue?

          According to the U.S. Bureaus of Labor Statistics, high school students, on average, are consumed by schoolwork for ⅓ of their days. And this doesn’t account for extracurriculars, volunteering, family duties and other expectations of high school students. 

          Junior Annie Costello is one of many students at Huron that feels overwhelmingly time consumed. Along with school, Costello is involved with Health Occupations Students of America, Executive board and diving. She struggles to find time to relax with her friends and family and often only gets 6 hours of sleep. 

          Over 70% of highschoolers, like Costello, are not getting the recommended 9 hours of sleep every night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Psychology teacher Nadine Ghawi shared her knowledge on adolescent sleep deprivation. 

          “On a daily basis I witness students falling asleep in class, it is not due to boredom but rather extreme sleep deprivation,” Ghawi said. “Our society tends to reward people that get little sleep and constantly work but sleep is necessary for memory retention, mood regulation, healing of tissue and release of growth hormone.”

          This school year, Costello decided to step away from school and diving when her cousin, who she considered an older sister, passed away. However, her grieving process was rushed as she felt stressed about the work she was missing, and she was in the middle of the college recruiting process for diving. As a result, Costello began to struggle with her mental health.

          “My teachers gave me extensions, but I feel like I wasn’t in the right mental state at school to be doing my best,” Costello said. “ I feel as though the school system should have a better individualized school plan for situations like mine.”

          All high school students understand the pressure that Costello felt. Good grades, advanced classes, ACT and SAT are just some factors that weigh in. In Junior Nick Grosh’s academic essay “The Chains That Restrict Our Knowledge,” he compares the pressure on high schoolers to that of a hydraulic press.

          “The hydraulic press that weighs down the shoulders of every student in every class does not make diamonds—no, this pressure instead breaks any intellectual bonds we attempt to make,” Grosh said.

          Student mental health is a huge problem around the nation. 35% of adolcents experience depression or depressive symptoms, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death in teens. Studies have looked into potential explanations for this strike in mental illness, and many experts agree that the stress and unrealistic expectations of children in our society play a role.

          “I have witnessed many students experience panic attacks due to school related pressures,” Ghawi said. “I feel that students can still learn and be successful without the excessive pressure.”

          Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is another mental disorder among children that has experienced a significant increase. Today, 1 in 10 children are struggling with it according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Many experts believe that these stats are a product of the American school system which places young minds in a classroom to sit for 7 hours a day. 

          Huron has attempted to tackle many of these rising concerns in the high school education model by offering later start options, scheduling no-homework weekends and initiating mental health awareness. But the problem is not as simple whereas it can be solved with a small change in the program. The problem roots deep within our society as a whole and our overall outlook on the purpose of our education system. 

          I believe the solution is a huge culture shift to stop viewing test scores and college acceptances as a measure of life-value and to begin finding life-value in the education and opportunities provided in and out of school. Only then can meaningful, healthy change begin.