Stress Over the Workload

It is not uncommon to see textbooks and papers stretching across the cafeteria tables and anxious students cramming to finish homework or studying for an important upcoming test, but exactly how stressful is this workload? Jessica Lea, a freshman, has an opinion on the matter. Jessica Lea, along with other students, has stress about school. However, after her surgery in December, she missed six weeks worth of classwork, homework, quizzes, and tests. Exactly how does she handle a buildup of six-weeks worth of stress?

When she was asked how long it takes to do her homework, she responded, “An average of 2 hours. It depends on how much I have.” The later it gets, the harder it is to do homework without getting distracted. As can be expected, after school activities often postpone homework. Jessica is in the student-run show, with rehearsals from 2-5 PM. There is hardly any time to complete assignments in between songs and during breaks, so she often starts her homework after rehearsalaround 5:30 PM.

Certain subjects take longer to complete. When Jessica was asked which subject(s) take the longest, she tiredly answered, “Math and Social Studies.”  

When people walk into the cafeteria, they see people catching up on homework and studying for tests, quizzes, and quests. The stressed look on their faces indicates that they are overwhelmed. A few times, Jessica has hurriedly taken out her Algebra binder out, her Spanish index cards, and her Global History folder to study, study, and study. 

Despite being absent for approximately six weeks, she made it all up somehow. When she was asked how she handled the stress to make up all the work she missed, she said, “I had tutors come to my house. With the tutor, I made up the homework. With the tutor’s supervision, I took the tests and quizzes. When I was ready to go to school, I frequently went to extra help to catch up even more.”