Pressures on Utah Teens: High-Achieving Students

The pressure that comes with getting high grades, captaining the football team, and starring in the school musical can weigh heavily on teens who are driven to succeed. At the Utah County Academy of Science in Orem, students shared their experiences with intense academic pressure.

In a recent discussion with juniors and seniors at UCAS, Fox 13 News asked a question: “How many of you would consider yourselves very tense and very tightly wound?” Only a few hands went up. When asked how many students were relaxed, more students raised their hands, highlighting the varying levels of stress among students.

UCAS, ranked as the best high school in Utah by Niche, a rankings and review website, is no stranger to academic stress. Junior Reuben Uribe spoke about the challenging curriculum. “A lot of the courses here at UCAS are actually very rigorous. A lot of the classes I have in particular involve doing a lot of things rather than just, ‘Here’s a lecture, here’s a lesson. Learn it now.’ “You can actually apply it in the classroom. And I think learning and doing, just like just that application, can be a really big challenge,” Uribe said.

EG Turner, also a junior, said, “I came in and said, ‘I have the will of, God, by going to this school, I can do this.’ But when it comes to junior year, this year, I feel like I’m almost burned out at some point.”

Political science teacher Jeff Ferlo emphasized the importance of project-based learning. “My classes are a lot project-based. I teach political science, and one of the things we did this year is give them a project where they had to go into the community and find something to do. My job is to help them to be where they want to be in life and make a difference in this world wherever they are,” he said.

Child and family psychologist Dr. Doug Goldsmith noted the pressure top performers face. “The high achievers feel overwhelmed and feel like I just have to work really hard, and some of them can concentrate more on school and some activities. Average achievers are trying to find their balance. “I have piano and I have piano I I have a church service and I have all these other activities, and I squeeze them in, and I want to get my screen time before I go to bed. Screen time and phones have created chaos,” Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith also said younger students, such as seventh and eighth graders, are feeling the pressure. He said: ‘I’m hearing from pupils in year seven and eight that they are panicking. ‘I failed my math test today, and I can’t go to college anymore,’ and it takes a lot of therapeutic work to help them understand that seventh and eighth grades are practice and preparation for ninth grade, and that will count.”

To help reduce stress, Goldsmith suggested scheduling a time between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. “When they start putting the schedule together, two things happen,” he said. “One is that they realize this isn’t going to work, and I have to be in bed at nine o’clock and I’m not going to get everything done. Or they realize, I’m going to get this done and I’m If I actually have time after dinner I have time for my screens and my friends, there is free time and they can organize themselves better. That is something the parents have to help with.’

Students shared their future ambitions and dreams. Senior Kai Heftel humorously summed up his career goals: “I want to be Mr. Ferlo, a biomedical engineer, and achieve world domination,” prompting laughter from his peers. Senior Chanel Thomas expressed interest in becoming a teacher or corporate lawyer. Junior EG Turner hopes to become a marine biologist, while junior Porter McCuistion is considering a career in mechanical engineering. Senior Charlie Midy also wants to be a mechanical engineer, and junior Asher Richardson said candidly, “I want to go into business management, yeah. I really just want to make a lot of money,” which again drew laughter. Junior David Wood admitted, “I have no idea. But I still have time, so I’m still figuring things out.”

Goldsmith suggested that students could benefit from a gap year to explore different careers and volunteer opportunities. “Children may need a gap year to discover and see what they want to do, explore different jobs and opportunities and learn how to volunteer so we can guide them to become successful adults,” he said.

For parents who suspect their teens are under too much pressure, Goldsmith recommended watching for signs such as irritability, nervousness, sleep disturbances or withdrawal from activities. If these symptoms are present, it may be necessary to seek professional help to ensure the well-being of their child.