At Newton South High School this fall, there was a suicide epidemic: three in less than four months of school. And many people speculated that the reason for these deaths was the resulted stress from taking all honors and advanced placement classes. So, in the wake of this tragedy, parents are beginning to question the reasoning behind students participating in these high-achieving academic environments. With more and more competitive students committing suicide, this obsession with elite universities is getting way out of hand.
School stress alone does not cause suicide. However, the pressure that students feel to complete the work and receive high marks can contribute to emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety, which can trigger suicide attempts in teens who already suffer from mental health issues. The stress is one large contributing factor of many, and rigorous AP courses aren’t helping.
Parents, teachers, and society encourage students to strive for the best possible education and highest-paying salaries. Too many students are taking that into consideration when picking classes or choosing which college to apply to, whereas they shoud be focusing on their own personal interests, and not society’s expectations.
While most teachers agree that the advanced placement level is designed for students who have a passion for and excel in a certain subject area, students often use these classes as a way to boost their GPAs instead. AP curricula facilitates this unhealthy, competitive phenomenon. Kids are taking 4-6 AP classes soleley because they think colleges will look upon that favorably.
“I’m interested in AP science and AP English courses. The other AP classes I take because they boost my GPA,” said sophomore Archana Apte. Students taking an AP course as a potential GPA booster is neglectful to their true strengths and interests. Those who take an AP class that is too challenging or uninteresting to them are more likely to negatively view school. Is taking three, four, or five AP academic classes really worth compromising personal happiness?Feeling miserable during the school week is not something worth accepting.
In the aftermath of the tragic Newton suicides, parents, teachers, and students have become more aware of the dangers of working way too hard. With course selections coming up very soon at Walpole High School, students should put a lot of thought into their decisions. What classes sound interesting? What classes are important to me? Kids may stand out by taking all AP classes, but squeezing hours of homework along with a varsity sport, performing art, or club into a 24-hour day has proven to be a tremendous risk.
So why take the risk? High school is time to enjoy, not hate. A student’s future is important, but getting into one of the top schools does not guarantee happiness. Pursuing your interests does. Students should only take AP courses which interest them and will offer them a challenge if they feel they are lacking one. So before checking off AP Calculus for next year, make sure it sounds appealing to your interests, and be prepared for a challenging workload.
