Come May, students are being given study packets, resources, and exam dates. This often builds a lot of stress towards the end of the year, especially for spring athletes who are struggling to manage their time. 

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Often, students become very overwhelmed and averages begin to drop because they are focused on only the end of year exams, rather than the current ones. With regents, finals, and AP exams, the stress never stops. 

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All of this stress throughout the final stretch of the year can lead to some kids going into a depressive state, or those who do not care, to just give up completely, overwhelmed by workload. Students also begin to lose motivation because they feel that no matter how much they study, another exam is always approaching. 

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Teachers continue assigning regular classwork and homework on top of exam preparation, making it difficult for students to balance everything at once. 

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While the stress feels overwhelming at times, teachers would argue in favor of practicing eustress, a good stress that is meant to motivate humans. Life is full of challenges that will create unwanted stress, therefore, working through the emotion in a controlled and forgiving environment is necessary to build coping skills. 

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Yet, if we return to the student perspective, homework, athletic and extracurricular schedules, crowd a student’s life,  leaving little time to study or rest. Many students end up sacrificing sleep just to complete assignments and prepare for exams, which only increases stress and exhaustion. How can we say this benefits a student?

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Schools should consider ways to reduce pressure during the final months of the year so students can stay mentally healthy while still succeeding academically.