The 2017-2018 school year kicked off only last month, yet many students are already feeling the pressures of school. Of the 15 students polled, 10 said they are currently stressed out about school.

The amount of homework that teachers give greatly contributes to the amount of student stress.

“It depends on how much I have that night,” sophomore Anna Van Brunt said, “but usually three at a minimum, including studying,”.

Van Brunt commented on how extracurriculars and sports greatly contribute to student stress as well.

“I have [soccer] practice like three to four nights a week,” Van Brunt said, “I have games every weekend, so I don’t really have a lot of time outside of school,”.

This copious aggregate of homework combined with extracurricular activities keep students up till unhealthy hours.

“Usually at about 1:30 [a.m.] I hit the wall,” sophomore Erin Pemberton said.

Not only have students seen an increase in coursework, but they have also seen a substantial increase in the difficulty of classes. Van Brunt mentioned that with many AP and honors classes, students are under a greater amount of pressure to meet and exceed expectations.

Tiger Paws gives students the time to get started on homework to minimize the amount of homework they have.

Van Brunt said that she likes Tigers Paws because “I can do my homework and I can talk to teachers if I need to.”

Tiger Paws isn’t the only way that students have devised to maintain their stress, though. Pemberton said she uses an app on her phone that has breathing exercises to her control her stress level.

Taking breaks while doing homework, exercising and taking naps were also mentioned by the two students as ways that they manage their stress.

Regardless of which technique is used to manage this pressure, students have to figure out a way to balance all components of their life in order to be successful in the real world.