As fall turns to winter and college deadlines loom on the horizon, many students nationwide begin to feel the pressure mount. On top of schoolwork, sometimes loaded with the rigor of Advanced Placement (AP) classes, extracurricular activities, and managing social lives; the college preparation process is a huge stressor for many upperclassmen. Those at Tamalpais High School are no exception.

It’s no secret that students are subjected to all sorts of stress, academic or otherwise; however, the strain this puts on mental health is often an underrepresented issue. Despite Marin County being fortunate enough to obtain suitable funding and resources for many things, the latest Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) done by Marin Health, states that in regards to mental health, we are lacking resources and prioritization. Marin Health is a healthcare system that serves Marin County with clinical offices and reports such as the CHNA. In this particular assessment, mental health was the second most prioritized issue addressed, with focus groups reporting that youth mental health services in particular are limited, and often outsourced to other counties. 

With growing awareness of the importance of mental health, it is imperative to explore both what causes these issues and also what further perpetuates them. These challenges are not merely a statistic, but real and happening, all around us, every day. While many of life’s challenges are simply out of anyone’s control, recent data suggests that “school stress” is a significant contributor.

In Marin County, academic factors play majorly into these findings. A survey of Marin teenagers done by AIM, a national mental health initiative, found that 79 percent of respondents said getting good grades was a hugely stressful aspect of their lives. 77 percent reported stress from the amount of homework and studying required.

The psychological and physiological effects of such anxiety were also represented, with 78 percent of teens reporting a fear of failure or “not being good enough,” alongside 77 percent of teens who reported anxiety about the amount of sleep they were getting. 

“It is important to address the root causes of the youth mental health crisis, so we can help create solutions to these problems. I think a major cause of youth anxiety is pressure from peers, parents, and themselves,” Alex Sumski, a senior at Redwood High School who helped create the survey, said.

The pressure to succeed academically manifests itself not only in psychological strain but also in students’ routine. This anxiety around schoolwork can create unhealthy study habits such as: going to bed extremely late, caffeine addictions, and last minute cramming. These can have greatly detrimental effects on one’s physical and mental health, especially over a long time. A study done by the Victorian Department of Health showed that lack of sleep can lead to difficulty concentrating, reduced academic performance, and even make teenagers more predisposed to disorders like depression. 

“In the last month, I don’t think I’ve gotten more than six hours of sleep during school nights [due to schoolwork],” Tam senior Talia Bamburger said. “Because of this, I feel very drained and unmotivated, but stay up late the next night just to finish whatever I have left.” 

The apparent social culture of Tam also plays heavily into the stress factor of school, students report. 

“Every time I talk to someone all we talk about is how stressed we are—mostly about college,”  Tam senior Ava Mcarr said. “The pressure is honestly from other students. It’s like who can get into the best college? Who can take the most APs? It feels like whatever you’re doing will just never be enough.”

“There’s so much pressure on kids at Tam, or just Marin in general.  So many people are going to these elite colleges, and everyone is comparing themselves to them–but so are their parents, so it’s like pressure from all sides, Tam senior Skylar Cecci said.

The idea of college being the “end goal,” or for some an unarguable destination, fosters a competitive academic environment and extremely high expectations for most students at Tam. A huge emphasis is put on going above and beyond to make oneself seem “special” in college applications, especially considering the people putting in so much academic effort. 

“There’s so much going on—by the time I get home from my sport and can even do my homework I’m exhausted, but I have to do my sport because, with everyone’s perfect grades, there’s so much pressure to have extracurriculars,” Tam senior Ruby Raffo-Day said.

Additionally, many students report on the existence of “straight A” culture at Tam, describing how for many, straight A’s are not even a question or something to be proud of, but simply the standard set by a vast majority of their peers. 

“It’s so frustrating,” Tam senior Sol Grossman said. “If we all get A’s then it’s almost like nobody gets A’s, so where is all that work even going?” 

This creates a wild amount of social and internal pressure – considering straight A’s typically take great effort to achieve, especially in AP classes. This, alongside extracurriculars, takes up an enormous amount of time, leaving little for self care or social events. 

Balancing school and sports in particular opens another discussion. The commitment to a team comes with a host of obligations and challenges, outside of time management, which can only heighten the stress school causes.  

“Some teachers just won’t accommodate [for sports],” Tam senior Witt Bulger said. “If you have early dismissal and are going to miss some schoolwork, some teachers will refuse to help or explain later. They say it’s our issue, considering we chose to do a sport.” 

This lack of support only further drives the extent of this issue, and with the level of work only increasing, many students are calling for change. While support systems like the wellness center are already in place, some students believe deeper reforms are needed – ranging from systemic policy changes, to modifying teacher approach, and even a shifting in the hyper-competitive social culture. 

“We have to start treating students as people first, and students second,” Zachary Gilmore, an art teacher at Tam, said. “If we just start there, I think [Tam] could do better.”