The biggest stressor regarding school in freshman Munachiso Nnamani’s life is the competitive aspect of AP classes. She copes with her stress through prayer.
Munachiso Nnamani, 9
How do you cope with stress?
“This is from my own beliefs, but I’d say prayer really helps. If you’re trying to curb your own stress by things that you do like reading or sleeping a lot, it’s not really going to last, but if you pray about it then it’s going to last.”
What aspects of school worsen your stress?
“I feel like it’s people in my classes. I just started doing AP classes… I thought I was pretty smart before, but now it matters how well you’re doing in relation to your other classmates. That influences what college you get into and your entire life, so that’s overwhelming.”
Do you feel the need to hide your stress?
“Not really because my family works in a way where the more stressed you are, the more slack you get. Before, when I was in middle school, I had to do more chores and they didn’t really take me seriously, but now I’m in the ninth grade and they’re like, ‘Oh, big transition.’ Now they’re easier on me when it comes to the sharing of chores because they know I have stuff to do.”
Javier Buendia, 11
Junior Javier Buendia’s biggest stressor when it comes to school is tests. He constantly finds himself in competition with his friends academically.
Do your parents have expectations for you?
“My parents have high expectations. For the most part I just try to live up to it, but I don’t let it bother me too much. I just try to ignore that part.”
What aspects of school worsen your stress?
“The tests. [In] some classes, 70 percent of the grade is the test, so if you don’t pass that test or don’t get a high enough grade, it doesn’t matter how good you do on everything else, the daily grades, the quizzes or the homework.”
How often do you compare yourself to those around you? How does this affect you?
“My friends are all pretty competitive grade-wise, so I always try to do better than them. It’s constant competition.”
Do you feel the need to hide your stress?
“I don’t really like to let my parents see it because if I’m stressing, that makes my parents stressed and if they’re stressed, it’s not very good.”