How stressed are students at LHS?
The crisp fall air usually signals a return to routine, but for many students at Leonia High School, it has brought a mounting sense of pressure. From looming college application deadlines to demanding academic workloads, an invisible current of stress is running high through the student body, often impacting sleep, patience, and overall well-being. This stress is palpable now, affecting LHS students largely due to the combination of rigorous academics and the college application process, driven by a deep-seated pressure to achieve and succeed, manifesting in chronic irritability and lost sleep.
For seniors, this pressure is undeniably intensified by the push toward higher education. LHS student Anabella Garcia articulated this deeply personal burden, pinpointing “college applications” as the single factor contributing most significantly to her stress, clarifying, “because for my family going to college is your life.” This overwhelming expectation translates into a high-stress day that starts “mellow and then slowly get[s] more irritated.” The mental load spills into her personal time, causing a cycle of poor rest. When trying to cope, Anabella admits, “I doomscroll on TikTok, so I lose sleep, and outside of school since I don’t have a lot of sleep, I become very irritable and very little patience.”
School Counselor Ms. DeLorenzo confirms the severity of the issue, observing that “academic reasons are the main contributor to student stress with midterms approaching, and students are finding it challenging to persevere through the busy time of the year and maintain their grades.” She adds that for seniors, “college applications are also stacked against them.” DeLorenzo advises that teachers and parents should watch for specific signs of chronic stress, including “changes in mood and behavior, coming in late, sleeping in class or staying up late at home, missing deadlines, changes in eating habits, [or] not socializing as much.” She stresses that “Anything outside of the norm of how that student acts could be a sign.”
Fortunately, LHS offers structured resources aimed at helping students manage this complex issue. According to Ms. DeLorenzo, the school provides a variety of coping mechanisms through the student services department, including Flex Periods, calming activities like coloring and crafts offered by school counselors, and opportunities for students to “decompress and reset” provided by case managers. Additionally, Pop Flex sessions are focused on teaching organization and time management skills to prevent ongoing stress from taking root.
When asked for advice for overwhelmed students, Ms. DeLorenzo emphasized a personalized approach. Her general suggestions include taking a break, reaching out to others for support, and most importantly, “prioritizing and reorganizing to prevent the stress returning.” The interviews also revealed a clear idea for a systemic change that could offer immediate relief: Anabella’s straightforward suggestion is that “During college apps seniors should have a time during the day dedicated to finishing them.” This proposal speaks to the need for designated time within the school day to tackle non-academic pressures, directly addressing the anxiety that college applications create, and suggesting a path forward. The current stress level at LHS is a serious issue that demands both individual coping strategies and thoughtful policy considerations.
