Although Providence Day School is highly academically regarded and has an impressive student college acceptance rate, the stress and pressure that is put on students is viewed by many as unhealthy and excessive, and it can bring down the well being of even the most enthusiastic of learners.
One of the most attractive features about PDS for parents is its rigorous academic agenda. The idea is that students who attend the school have a better chance of success in college and careers. The side effects that come with this phenomenon can take a big toll on students.
Stress at PDS: the
cons of college-prep
By Charlie Tiberio, Ayodele Cole, Hudson Reynolds, & Ashley Kropf
In order to further understand the stress that Providence Day School students are faced with, we interviewed two extremely involved sophomores: Malika Rawal and Robert Veres. Both Rawal and Veres have daunting academic schedules, which include classes such as Analysis, AP World History, AP Computer Science, and AP Econ. Rawal participates in a multitude of out-of-school activities, such as Science Olympiad, math club, Future Problem Solvers, debate club, and varsity tennis. She also runs a small non-profit organization and is head of a Students of Service club which volunteers at hospitals.
Veres is just as involved, as he’s a part of the cross country team, runs the computer science club, leads the debate club, takes part in Model UN, Quiz Bowl, and math competitions. Veres also mentioned that he does projects with his friends outside of school that are usually computer science related. These two outstanding students, being extremely active in their community and having immensely draining schedules, can sometimes find it hard to find the time and energy to complete the required school work. This builds great amounts of stress. As a result, they can be studying late into the night, which can cause them to be even more stressed.
We also talked to PDS juniors Carter Dowling and Osita Ekwonu, who were previously enrolled in public schools. After speaking with them, it seemed as though the daily life of a Providence Day student is generally more stressful and challenging than that of the average public school student. Dowling, who came from Cox Mill High School, claimed that the average nightly workload takes him one hour more at PDS than what it took him at his old school. “It’s definitely more stressful here than at Cox Mill; there have been nights where I lost a lot of sleep, which never happened before.”
When Veres was asked to rate his stress level on a test day with a scale of one to five, he stated, “Usually it will be around a four or the period before it will definitely be a five. That’s my cram time. Last minute studying things. So usually it’s pretty high.” Veres claims his stress is mainly due to his busy schedule, and he’s always concerned with not having time to get things done.
Ekwonu, a junior, was previously enrolled in the Union County school system. “The jump was big for me; It's definitely been way more stressful here.” His stress has eased somewhat after getting used to the complex schedule at PDS, but he still has to work his hardest to maintain good grades.
Rawal believes that the main source of her stress comes from tests and grades. She feels direct pressure from her parents to do exceedingly well. In order to make sure she is not experiencing too much stress, Rawal tries her hardest to make free time in her schedule, admitting, “My stress goes away when I have nothing to do.”
So, even though PDS creates an advanced and thorough learning experience for students, it can also strike them with stress and anxiety. Some would argue that such stress is necessary to prepare for college, hence the term "college-preparatory". Others believe that the stress levels induced by schools like this one are excessive, and can be harmful to young minds and spirits. Providence Day's curriculum has a heavy impact on its students' lives and is a huge source of stress, for better or for worse.
"There have been nights where I lost a lot of sleep, which never happened before." - Carter Dowling
Intense stress. Image courtesy of Charlie Tiberio
Below: Robert Veres, hard at work
Image courtesy of Ashley Kropf
He also thinks that his parents give him a lot of stress, expecting him “to perform well in school as well as help out at home.” In addition, he feels a fair amount of pressure from
from his friends, saying, “Nobody wants to have the lowest score in my friend group.” One positive thing he said was that most of his teachers at PDS try to be flexible, which relieves his stress to a degree.
Overwhelmed student. Image courtesy of Andy Sohn.
FEATURES
The Charger, December 2017
Back to Table of Contents