Ever had to work on a high stakes project or study for a grueling midterm or final? Chances are you have, and most likely you were stressed out, or even worse, burnt out. It’s normal for students to feel some sort of academic stress throughout their high school career, and it could be beneficial for some to prepare them for college- if they are taking any honors or AP classes. What isn’t normal is when it starts to impact a students’ mental health outside of school and even their views of other students. This article will discuss the repercussions of grades, and how they can negatively hurt a student’s mental health or self-worth.
School is supposed to be a place to learn and socialize with other teens of the same age. It also introduces a brief glimpse into the competitive nature of the workspace which students will encounter post-high school or in college. But school, in general, isn’t supposed to generate feelings of uneasiness 24/7 or depression, due to some poor grades. According to edutopia.org, high-stakes tests have an overarching negative affect on students when they go, “Without breaks, high-stakes tests can cause a host of cascading problems….including increased anxiety levels, overconsumption of caffeine, smoking, an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and poor sleep quality.”
Standardized tests are a possible gateway for success in a student’s early life in the U.S.. This, in turn, has consequences overlooked during their design and now they are recognized for their faults. These tests cause some students to start panicking, or to adopt poor habits, in order to stay up longer to study and have the possibility of doing better on a test. The negative impacts of standardized tests are starting to be recognized by more and more institutions, such as the University of Washington in Seattle. They went SAT blind, meaning they wont accept any SAT scores if submitted. They believe it is a very poorly designed test. CUNY colleges as well have went SAT optional for 2024, as they are undergoing a moratorium to see if the SAT is beneficial or not.
Grades and standardized tests can mess with a student’s mental health. Trying to meet impossible expectations set by peers, and or parents, exacerbates these issues. This is another issue brought to light by the American psychological Association (APA) that, “Students may be afraid their success was a fluke or be worried that expectations from others are suddenly too high.” Setting expectations on students could have two outcomes. One, the student meets that goal, because they know they will be judged if they don’t. The second, and the more common scenario, falling to meet impossible expectations and suffering the consequences. This issue actually plays into a sociological concept coined, “the looking-glass self.” Basically, someone imagines themselves in the opinion of someone else, which students do subconsciously when they think about how their peers will react to a poor test grade or a poor average grade. This type of rational reduces students self worth. The student believes a number, or a letter, on a piece of paper determines the rest of their life. If this continues to be the norm in a society becoming more open to mental health and student anxiety, then society as a whole will suffer. As Aristotle once said, “in order to be effective you need not only virtue but also mental strength.”
In conclusion, school has a place in a student’s life and is an important factor to a child’s success in life. But, as highlighted, it has some overlooked negative impacts. Standardized tests, and peer expectations of a student, really diminishing the students overall mental health. This is why we as a society should recognize the faults of these two main issues, and find a way to rectify the situation for the betterment of future students.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
– Albert Einstein