Elle Fair ’19

It’s a bubble. You are trapped. Surrounded by pressure and stress, unable to pop the bubble and escape. The workload of Staples High School produces an immense amount of stress and every year it seems as if students are lectured on ways to prevent it. Many students feel that every night they are drowning in homework. Except, shouldn’t they expect to drown with all of the work they are given due to their challenging schedule and the pressure they put on themselves?

The pressure to achieve academically in high school is overbearing, but the extracurricular activity stress that many also face is intolerable especially because it is not needed. Participating in numerous extracurricular activities is not necessarily beneficial especially with the high stress students already feel from academics.

More is not always better. In many cases more is worse. In high school, students are already held responsible for taking high level academic classes that require hours of commitment, yet students feel an extra obligation to join clubs and sports teams in order to help them build their resumes.

Participating in extracurricular activities requires dedication. It requires sacrifice and time. Much of this time should be spent enjoying the high school experience, yet it is not. Finding a hobby that you are truly passionate about rather than joining one solely to build a resume to impress colleges will relieve some of the stress that comes with extracurricular activities. Currently, I play three varsity sports. I have never felt any extreme stress from them because they are something that I am passionate about, not a burden.

Last year, I joined the club Kool to Be Kind and because of my interest in being a leader, the club has not created stress for me. Many students consider these activities a burden instead of something they enjoy. For me, joining just one club that I enjoy has become an outlet for me rather than a load.

If considered a strain, these clubs, sports teams, etc. can become equally as stressful and time consuming as schoolwork.
It is important that students acknowledge the fact that more is not better. Sadhvi Mathur, a college advisor from UC Berkeley, emphasises this in her college blog. “Some students think that the key to college admissions success is to join a multitude of clubs in order to be able to fill out every available slot on the college application,” she said. “[…] many universities would rather see that you made a substantial impact in each of your activities, even if that means you are involved in fewer activities.” Participating in more clubs, more sports teams, more charities is not the solution for success or acceptance into college. In fact, more activities may take away from a student’s academics.

Students should acknowledge the phrase less is more; the idea that simplicity and clarity will lead to a less stressful and healthier routine.