Inside the life of a student, by Yashashvi Mehta Parmiter’s School

You may think that test anxiety and pressure to succeed is normal, however such large numbers of students suffering is unacceptable. Parents and teachers push students to do well in younger years and this leads to very high expectations, sometimes unresonable. Students burn out trying to maintain grades – they think they aren’t allowed to fail. This mindset takes a toll on mental health.

Students compare themselves to their friends, class mates and the endless amount of people online. Sometimes, healthy competition is encouraging. However, especially in selective schools, most student believe that nothing they do will be enough to compete with their peers and this negative thought process is extremely demotivating and toxic. 

“I am currently in year 12 and I have so much going on right now, its a struggle to keep up.  Just to name a few: Duke of Edinburgh award, EPQ (extended project qualification), wider reading, virtual work experience, volunteering, various responsibilities at school, 4 alevels, end of year exams revision, BMAT/UCAT (enterence exams) preparation, finding the perfect university for me, etc… Another thing I do is this young reporters scheme. I’m greatful to have so many opportunities to learn and progress, however I am often overwhelmed. I believe most students experience burn-out often and schools should be doing more to help us learn how to cope with the pressure and enjoy education” – Yashashvi Mehta

Constantly juggling physical health, mental health, a social life, grades, jobs, work experience, volunteering, extra-curriculars, super-curriculars while trying to live in the moment, having fun and getting 7 hours of sleep is close to impossible. Then should we have these expectations from students?

To improve the lives of many students, schools and universities should encourge a healthier balance between education and other endevours and interests. Students should be taught how to prioritise, manage their time, and find ways to make education more enoyable.