Checking blackboard and refreshing the page is something students do multiple times a day. This impulsive action is caused by the constant nagging in the back of most students’ heads named stress. It seems they are in a constant state of anxiety about their grades and individual intelligence.

Pressure from not only teachers but also peers and society seem to be pushing students to their mental capacity. But how far is too far?

“Kids are having less and less time to grow up. I never thought that senior year would be so stressful because of all the expectations society is currently holding us to for high school and college,” said Abigail Hausfeld, 12.

Beginning as early as sophomore year, the thought of college begins to enter the minds of students. This includes preparations like standardized testing, college representative meetings, and increasing the rigor of courses. However, those steps are still enforced even for seniors.

“Senior year is stressful enough with college applications, ACT testing, and Capstone. In addition to that, teachers pile on homework.

“It is hard to enjoy senior year, athletics, and spending time with friends when you’re constantly plagued by wondering when the next test is,” said Sarah Abraham, 12.

We all know the feeling of staying up way too late to cram for a test that we have the next day. When the test is returned, we peer out of the corner of our eyes to see if the person sitting next to us did better than you.

Competition has become a huge part of academics and life.

“The peer pressure in our class is insane. Everyone compares their ACT and SAT scores and GPA’s, and it never seems like yours is as high as everyone else’s. It’s a lot of pressure to compete with your classmates,” said Allison Landrum, 11.

Every year, the bar gets raised for the expected knowledge of not only academic content but also future endeavors for students. In the future, colleges and schools should consider the stress students are put under when asking them to complete expected criteria.