The pressures on Utah teenagers: Successful students

Aspiring teenagers struggle to get A’s, captain the soccer team, and star in the school musical. At the Utah County Academy of Sciences in Orem, students shared their experiences of intense academic pressure.

In a recent discussion with juniors and seniors at UCAS, Fox 13 News asked the question: “How many of you consider yourself very stressed, very wound up?” Only a few hands went up. When asked how much was delayed, more students raised their hands, highlighting the varying levels of stress among students.

UCAS, ranked the top secondary school in Utah by ranking website Niche, is no stranger to academic stress. Junior Ruben Uribe talked about the challenging curriculum. “Many of the courses here at UCAS are actually very rigorous. A lot of the classes that I teach, in particular, involve a lot of tasks, not just: “Here’s a lecture, here’s a lesson. Now study it.” ‘ You can really apply it in the classroom, and I think that kind of application can be a really big challenge,” Uribe said.

EG Turner, also a junior, said, “I came and said, ‘God, I have a desire to go to this school, I can do it.’ But when it came to my junior year, this year, I feel like I almost burned out at a certain point.”

Political science teacher Jeff Furlo emphasized the importance of project-based learning. “My class is largely project-based. I teach political science, so one of the things we did this year was give them a project where they had to go out into the community and find something to do. My job is to help them be where they want to be in life and make a difference in the world wherever they are,” he said.

Child and family psychologist Dr. Doug Goldsmith noted the pressures high achievers face. “The honors students feel overwhelmed and feel like I just need to work hard and some of them can focus more on school and some activities. Students with average academic performance try to balance. “I’ve got a piano and I’ve got a church and I’ve got all these other activities and I’m squeezing them in and I want my screen time before I go to bed.” Screen time and phones have created havoc,” Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith also noted that younger students, like seventh- and eighth-graders, feel the pressure. He said: “I’m hearing from seventh and eighth graders who are panicking. “I just failed my math test today and I won’t be able to go to college,” and it takes a lot of therapeutic work to help them understand that seventh and eighth grade is practice and preparation for ninth grade, and that will have value”.

To reduce stress, Goldsmith suggested scheduling between 4 and 9 p.m. “When they start making the schedule, two things happen,” he said. “First of all, they understand that it’s not going to work, and I have to be in bed by nine o’clock, and I’m not going to get everything done in time. Or they realize that I’m doing it, and I’ll actually have time for my screens and my friends after dinner, there will be free time, and they can start to organize themselves better. This is something parents should help with.”

Students shared their plans and dreams for the future. Senior Kai Heftel humorously listed his career goals: “I want to be Mr. Furlo, a biomedical engineer, and achieve world domination,” drawing laughter from his peers. Senior Chanel Thomas expressed her desire to become a teacher or a corporate lawyer. Junior EG Turner hopes to become a marine biologist, and junior Porter McCuistion is considering a career in mechanical engineering. Senior Charlie Meady also aspires to be a mechanical engineer, while junior Asher Richardson candidly stated, “I want to do business management, yeah. Just want to make a lot of money,” prompting laughter again. Junior David Wood admitted, “I have no idea. But I still have time, so I’m still looking for something.”

Goldsmith suggested that students might benefit from a gap year to explore different careers and volunteer opportunities. “Kids might need a gap year to explore and see what they want to do, explore different jobs and different opportunities and learn how to volunteer. That’s how we can guide them to become successful adults,” he said.

For parents who suspect their teens are under too much pressure, Goldsmith advised watching for signs such as irritability, nervousness, sleep disturbances or withdrawal from activities. If these symptoms are present, it may be necessary to seek professional help to ensure the child’s well-being.