Students report academic pressure at Uni

At a school with a strong emphasis on academic success and rigor, academic pressure is found in nearly all students. Most students report experiencing large amounts of stress and anxiety along with these feelings.

Many Uni students claim they feel pressured to do well at Uni from teachers, fellow peers, and their parents. Subfreshman Ilana Cohen says, “Sometimes I kind of feel like the teachers expect a lot from you, [because] you got into here, and you’re smart, so do well.”

High expectations set by parents and the Uni climate contribute as well.

While being at Uni, many students feel obligated to achieve certain standards and meet specific goals, such as, “getting good grades and being proficient in subjects,” according to Maher Adoni, a freshman.

Some Uni students claim they do not feel pressure from the climate at Uni, but rather they instigate it within themselves. A sophomore, Ethan Muchnik, says, “[I] mostly find it for myself, because I want to be successful.”

Surprisingly, all interviewed students claimed that they had not felt as stressed at previous schools, though their reasons vary. Sophomore Jenna Lee thinks her stress came from, “[my] transition from middle school to high school”, which she doesn’t believe is necessarily abnormal.

Students deal with their academic pressure in a varied amount of ways, including staying positive, taking breaks, and even blocking the pressure out. To cope with her stress, Jenna Lee says, “I eat, and I study a lot.” Other students motivate themselves by focusing on small sections of work at a time and setting goals.

At some point or another within their Uni careers, students experience pressure from either their teachers, parents, peers, or themselves. The climate of Uni influences the thoughts of other students, thus making the feeling of pressure inevitable.