Stress does not always look obvious in school, but many students deal with it every day. Between assignments, tests, sports, activities, and social pressure, mental health has become a serious issue for many students. As these pressures continue to grow, more students say schools should pay closer attention to mental health and the support they provide.

For many students, schoolwork is one of the biggest causes of stress. Ryan Robinson, a student athlete at Urbana High School, said balancing assignments and preparing for tests can quickly become overwhelming. “Sometimes you have a lot of work from different classes at once,” he said. “It can get stressful trying to finish everything. ”.

Academic pressure is not the only challenge students face during the school day. Malik, a student also at the school, said social pressure also affects students and can make school more difficult. “People care a lot about what others think.” He said, “That the pressure can make school harder than it needs to be. ”.

In addition to academic and social stress, many students say their schedules leave little time to rest. Sam Diomi said the constant cycle of classes, homework, and activities can feel exhausting. “You go from school to homework almost every day,” he said. “It feels like there’s always something you have to do. ”.

Some students also believe technology adds to the pressure. Rosmell Perez said social media can hurt mental health by causing students to compare themselves to others. “You see what everyone else is doing and sometimes compare yourself,” he said. “That can make people feel worse about themselves.”

Because of these pressures, some students believe schools should do more to support student well-being. Jason Marshall said it is important for students to have trusted adults they can talk to when they feel overwhelmed. “Having support from teachers or counselors can really help,” he said.

As more students speak openly about stress, pressure, and burnout, mental health is becoming harder for schools to ignore. If schools want students to succeed in the classroom, they also need to make sure students feel supported outside of academics.