There are two parts to school: the academic and the social. The academic aspect, for many students, is far more stressful than the social one. For example, tests are a colossal reason students feel nervous in school. Studying takes time out of students’ days that could be spent seeing friends or resting. Similarly, surprise or “pop” quizzes can be extremely inconvenient because there’s no opportunity to prepare for them. State exams and other big tests contribute to this as well. Students must pass state exams to pass the course. Thus, they can be very nerve-racking. Now, the Common Core Regents exams have been added to the list. Common Core standards make the wording of certain test questions absolutely confusing. The students often do not even know what the question is asking.

Other forms of assessments, like projects, cause a great deal of anxiety to students as well, especially because they are graded so heavily. Long-term projects can cause problems for many. They usually involve sophisticated and complex procedures and steps to follow. These projects require a great deal of hard work and often research. They are counted for a good percentage of a student’s quarterly grade.
Homework is arguably one of the most irksome, but important, parts of a student’s school responsibility. Students get homework at least four days a week for up to four hours a night. Think about it. That’s 20 hours per school week! On top of that, many teachers give homework on the weekends, which does nothing but add to students’ apprehension level. Homework is also often collected and graded in many classes. Considering that this excludes weekend homework, it’s crazy. Homework takes up a lot of precious time.

Relationships with teachers can give students a rough time in school as well. Many students do not like at least one of their teachers. However, they do have to be with them for the entire school year. Therefore, if a student has a hard time with the teacher, the entire school year can be very difficult. The student may not even do well in that class.

Pressure to do well in school also raises a student’s anxiety considerably. Starting from the first day of 9th grade, everything counts. Grades in high school become very important and crucial for the future. Grades go on students’ high school transcripts. A bad grade on that transcript might just hold back  students’ applications to the colleges of their choice.

Courses and classes in high school are very significant since students must pass required courses to graduate, which makes students very apprehensive. High school can be very stressful, and that nervousness can prevent students from enjoying their high school experience. For example, a student may not join an extracurricular activity because that would take the time needed for homework. Other academic parts that give students stress include GPA and applying for colleges. As you can see, schoolwork is the main cause of stress overall.