Why Do Students Pack Their Schedules?

A classic stereotype in high school is the overachiever – and Springfield is full of them. But are they really overachievers, or just trying to live up to the expectations society has set for them? High school students around the country are living impossibly busy lives, trying to pack in countless activities into hours they don’t have. Whether it be AP classes, sports, clubs, or a mixture of everything, students are all struggling with the schedule they’ve set for themselves. Thus, the question becomes – why? Why do kids believe that if they aren’t doing everything, they aren’t doing enough? Is it parents? Society? Colleges? More importantly, is any of it actually true?

To understand where the problem starts, let’s go to the students. If Springfield has a surplus of anything, it is overachieving students – and they have a lot to say. “A lot of kids are afraid of failure,” says sophomore Joce Davis. “They feel like they’re required to do everything.” Many students discuss not wanting to let people down. “When you do well in school, people present you with extra opportunities to apply what you’re learning in class,” says Rena Perry. “Sometimes, we say yes to them because we’re interested, but most of the time it’s because we don’t want to disappoint our teachers, and that leads to overpacked schedules and not enough time.” 

Fear of disappointment is definitely a factor, but other students take a different approach – and so do professional journalists. According to the Bay Atlantic University Blog, students deal with a lot of parental pressure: the emotional stress parents place on their kids that is usually tied to academic success. Parents worry about their kids – it’s natural – but that does cause them to place an unusual amount of pressure on their kids. “My parents definitely have high expectations for me,” says Suzanne Seltzer. “They encourage me to do a lot in school, which can lead to me being over-scheduled.” But, that raises another question – why do parents think academic success will equal success in life?

Enter the overarching reason students pack their schedules: college. Society places an unbelievable amount of importance on going to college, when, in reality, it is not for everyone and it is certainly not the only option after high school. However, especially today, people overestimate the necessity of college, and overestimate what colleges are looking for in prospective students. Both students and parents are guilty of these expectations. Ivy League and top universities are notorious for being the “best colleges” for future success. Movies and media present these colleges as the best in the business – if you want a good life, you need to go here! Obviously, parents want their kids to have a good life, which conditions them to believe if their kids don’t go Ivy League they won’t thrive, which trickles down to their kids, who think if they don’t get straight As and play softball and swim and do theatre and volunteer they won’t have a good life after high school, they won’t have a good life after college, and they won’t have a good life fifty years down the road. Thus, the cycle begins of high school students thinking they need to do everything to be successful, who then turn into parents who think their kids need to do everything to be successful, and on and on and on.

The harsh reality is, getting straight As and joining one thousand clubs does not guarantee a spot at an Ivy League school. The less-harsh reality is, Ivy Leagues are not the only way to success – nor the best way. This fall, the Philadelphia Inquirer published an article about students who wanted to go to Penn but ended up going to Penn State – and they were not any less successful than Penn students of their same graduating year. They did not start out a step behind. They were not hampered in any way. They achieved all of the goals they set for themselves when they thought they’d be repping blue and red instead of blue and white. Because, as the Inquirer points out, it is the student – not the school – that determines their own success. It does not matter what school name is on your diploma. It does not matter what mascot you root for at football games. It doesn’t even matter if you have a diploma or not. What matters is YOU – your happiness and your well-being. So switch the class. Change your sport. Join the stage crew. Do whatever makes you happy. That is the secret to success.