How Much Is Too Much?

School, Scholarships, Sports, Services- Students Have Taken on Too Much

by Ally Kelley, Multimedia Editor

April 23, 2025

This graphic depicts the stress and responsibilities of students who are taking on more than they can handle. Whether it’s a job, a sport, an activity, volunteering, school or home life, there are a plethora of things that students are expected to handle, even if it affects their mental and physical health.

Have you ever experienced so much stress that it has made you physically ill?

Stressors can lurk around any corner, and they can be considered another aspect of life. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), prolonged stress can lead to an increased risk of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.

Research done by Colorado Health showed that over one out of four people were saying that they had eight or more days of poor mental health.

How does this apply to students?

It all starts with what can cause stress. School, college, jobs, sports, activities, home life, moving and a lack of sleep can all be considered stressors.

Small amounts of stress are normal for people to experience, and as students get older they will experience more and more, especially when they get more responsibilities.

The real question is: How Much is Too Much?

What Stresses Do Students Take On?

The Stresses of Schools and Scholarships

This graphic depicts where students are going after they complete highschool. These results were from a survey taken in multiple seminar classes. (media by Ally Kelley)

College is not required to be successful in life; however, it is a popular option. In a survey taken by @rcrockmedia, 64 out of 77 students said that they were planning to go to college. According to the Education Data Initiative, college prices have increased exponentially over the years. Now the average cost of college is $38,270.

The students desire or require a scholarship for college. Whether it is national merit, academic, athletic, religious or something else, these scholarships can be a game changer for students.

“I've been stressing about college a bit, [but I'm going to] wait ‘till my junior meeting to worry about scholarships,” Christian Kennedy ‘26 said.

It has become our culture to take AP classes for college credit. Whether it’s for the weighted grade, the rigor or the college credit, 36 out of 80 students are taking an AP class, according to a survey taken in Seminar classes.

Students have the option to take five to seven classes a semester. While not all classes will give them homework, 42 out of 80 students, according to a survey taken in Seminar classes, reported having between 1 and 2 hours of homework. This added to sports and jobs fills up more and more of a student's time, and adds to their stress.

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The Stresses of Sports, Activities and Jobs

This graphic depicts what students are in a sport. While 44 out 79 students do a sport, 38 out of 78 students don’t consider it free time. All results were taken by a survey conducted in seminar classes. (media by Ally Kelley)

According to a survey taken within seminar classes, 44 out of 79 students reported being in a sport. Depending on the sport, practices typically range from two to three hours.

The reality is sports can get students into college. According to Bankrate, sports scholarships can be full-tuition or even full ride. 67 out of 80 students on a rock media survey said they wanted or needed a scholarship for college. These sports scholarships could be what they need.

Activities, such as clubs, volunteering and performing arts also take up time. To graduate, students need 20 volunteer hours, but it’s not uncommon for students to exceed that. 24 out of 76 students have over 50 hours and three reported to have over 100.

Whether it’s to help support their family, support themselves or just to save up for something, 27 out of 80 students have jobs, with 22 of them claiming to work 10 or more hours a week. According to The National Library of Medicine, students who work have the potential to have worse grades, increased absences and higher dropout rates.

On the other hand, these same students will have to learn to deal with stress, adaptation and responsibility, which can benefit them in the long run, but can feel too overwhelming in the short term. This is especially true when bosses or managers don’t listen to people before scheduling them.

The Stresses of Home Life

Home life can be one of the biggest stressors in a student’s life. Divorce, moving, loss of a loved one and fights between families or friends can all be major stressors in a student’s life. 20 out of 53 students specified how family issues are causing major amounts of stress in their lives.

Moving can also cause stress from being in a new environment and losing an old one. While only 21 out of 80 students claimed to know someone who is moving, those students have to deal with all that comes with moving. Even students who aren’t moving, but know someone close to them who has to deal with stress from losing a friend. According to Psychology Today, moving is considered to be the third most stressful event in a person’s life.

Where Does That Leave Room For Fun and Relaxation?

This graphic depicts the definitions of key words used in this article. (media by Ally Kelley)

If a hypothetical student was in a sport, had a job, had an average amount of homework and had a stressful home environment, that would leave less than 10 hours a day for free time and sleeping. According to Nationwide Children’s, high schoolers need anywhere between nine to nine

and a half hours of sleep, with most needing exactly nine and a quarter of an hour.

That leaves anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour of free time.

While some students consider their sport or activity as their free time, 38 out of 78 students don’t consider it to be their free time.

The Effects of Stress

The Psychological Effects of Stress

This graphic depicts the three main types of stress. Acute stress is temporary, short term stress. Episodic stress is repeated episodes of acute stress that are close together. Chronic stress is long term stress. (media by Ally Kelley)

According to My Cleveland Clinic, there are three types of stress: acute stress, episodic acute stress and chronic stress.

According to Patient.info, acute stress is short term stress and goes away. This can cause irritability, a negative attitude, anxiety, poor sleep, poor concentration and self-isolation.

“Sometimes when I have stuff to do [I’m a] little short with people,” Kennedy said.

According to Brain Training, episodic stress is when someone has constant acute stress and, therefore, does not have the time to ever calm down. This causes a constant feeling of anxiety, feeling out of control, poor judgment, memory issues, mood swings, self-isolation, loneliness, sadness, changes in behavior and sleep problems and the development of nervous habits. This can lead to drug use and neglecting responsibilities to feel a sense of escape from the stressor.

According to Yale Medicine, chronic stress is stress going on in the long term, so for weeks or months. It can cause a change in social behavior, low energy, unfocused thinking and changes in emotional responses as well as emotional withdrawal.

I’ve dealt with episodic stress since I was a little kid, and I’m dealing with chronic stress now. Stress has caused me to have my fair share of panic and anxiety attacks, it has caused me to develop my own nervous habits, such as picking at my own skin. It’s caused me to have little to no energy for weeks on end.

The Physical Effects of Stress

This graphic depicts where all information about the three main types of stress is sourced from. (media by Ally Kelley)

Acute stress causes heart palpitations, nausea, chest pain, headaches, abdominal pains and breathing problems due to adrenaline and other hormones released into the bloodstream when stressed.

Episodic stress symptoms are similar to acute stress symptoms; however, becoming sick on a regular basis without recovery can come from episodic stress. Long term episodic stress is also associated with high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.

Chronic stress can cause low energy, aches, pain, hair loss, changes in appetite and insomnia. It is associated with other conditions, such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, addiction, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and metabolic syndrome.

Having episodic stress has caused my immune system to weaken greatly over the last few years. As my stress has gotten worse, I’ve been more susceptible to illnesses like the flu.

How Does This Affect School?

This graphic depicts student’s reactions to stress. All results were pulled by survey taken during seminar classes. (media by Ally Kelley)

If stress causes you to be sick, it can lead to missing school and having more work to do, which would only lead to more stress.

Stress impacts my focus, which destroyed my grades sophomore year, leading me to go from a 3.87 grade point average (GPA) to a barely 3.6 GPA. For a lot of the schools I am looking at, tuition costs a lot more when the GPA is under a 3.75, so I am left trying to bring it back up.

This isn’t an unusual experience. A lack of focus and missing school days can lead to students getting behind on classwork and overall affecting their grades. 42 out of 78 students reported that stress has impacted their grades.

Is There a Solution?

Reaching out for help is the best solution when it comes to being overcome by stress and anxiety.

This graphic depicts the two major foundations that people can reach out to for help. People can call, text and message 988 online, as well as report someone they are worried about to Safe2Tell. (media by Ally Kelley)

There are anonymous platforms that students and adults can reach out to for free. 988 and Safe2Tell can be reached out to when having passive or active suicidal ideation; however, they can be used for emotional distress, concerns about drug use or just to talk to someone.

As someone who had to reach out to 988 due to being overwhelmed, I can vouch that they can get you the help you need and make you feel heard in a time of stress. There should be no shame in having to reach out and get help.

Be aware that others are going through things like this. They may feel unable to reach out or are just hoping someone will notice. If you notice your friend socially withdrawing, looking more exhausted every day, reach out to them. Ask them if they are okay and how you can help. Making someone feel seen can be exactly what they need.

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