Mental Health: A student’s perspective

By Hannah Stephens

As we dive into this year, many students have faced struggles keeping grades up, going to school consistently, and prioritizing/dealing with their own hardships at home.

It can be difficult managing all of the stress from school as well as stress from the problems we face off on campus. Pressure arises as students struggle to keep their heads above water and each child faces their own unique set of issues.

Mental health is something that is not often talked about due to the stigma and controversy around it. Despite this however, it is something that needs to be discussed especially within the school system. There are counselors and resources at school for those who don’t have access, but are these really helpful?

Here at Redwood High School, we have counselors, psychologists, and social workers, but are these opportunities to talk being used as often as they should be? Often times, on campus, our main focus is getting to class, passing, not being late, and pushing students to further their education. In reality, however, teachers and staff should remember the mental aspect of it.

There are students all over who carry the pressure from their parents into school, and for some, being away from home is a safe place. Being outside of your household can be therapeutic and helpful for students with emotional struggles. Sometimes, however, there are days where it’s nearly impossible to stop thinking about the issues one may have.

When an adult on campus sees a student who seems to be having a hard time, whether it be academically, or emotionally. It should be a requirement for them to bring it to the attention of a counselor.

This would help encourage students to be more open and trusting of adults, as well as help children to remember that there is always someone who cares and someone who sees you.

Around 20% of all teenagers experience depression before reaching adulthood. Nearly 10 to 15% show signs and symptoms before being diagnosed. This is something that the school board should be made aware of. There should be days where homework isn’t being shoved down the throats of students or times where when teachers see a kid struggling, they should take it upon themselves to check in.

If anything, this is a hope, but in my opinion, it should be a standard. Not all kids have the ability to go home and talk to someone, nor do they have a person they can trust. It can be difficult bearing all of the weight on your own and sometimes drives children to completely give up.

Many students have accepted the low grades and are not making an effort to push themselves. Along with this comes the complications COVID-19 has had on kids. The entire last year children have had no social life, no events, and no community. We lost our drive in school, and study habits have gone completely down the drain.

This year, kids are making up for lost time by attending football games, trying out for sports, clubs, and being with friends. This is the main priority for many right now, and with some, education is being pushed to the side. How can students find a healthy balance, when the entirety of what balance should be was completely thrown off last year?

Last year passing scores in Visalia Unified School District, dropped from 7,156 to 6,403. A lot of staff expected students to bounce back from this but most aren’t really in a place to do so. Students had no preparation going into this year and were never given the opportunity to settle in. This has affected students tremendously.

While interviewing a sophomore student, Jordan Cervantes, she stated, “The most stressful part of school I would say, is the pressure of succeeding and over-achieving academically.” She explains how hard it is balancing work for school while also balancing her struggles that stem from home.

After asking why it is such a difficult task to complete homework, she goes on to say, “I can’t really find a good balance between home and school, we aren’t really given the opportunity to. It’s not just that, but I have other things I need to prioritize at home, it’s just really tiring in a way.”

I believe if we were to make mental health a part of the curriculum and take the well-being of students into consideration more often it would benefit the overall academic success of students. “If I could change something about the academic part of things, I think I would change the late work policy and the overwhelming amount of assignments given in and outside of school.”

Although it is very obvious that school has affected students negatively in various amount of ways it can be somewhat of a safe place for students.

This is something Cervantes stated as well, ” I think school more so affects me negatively just because it adds so much stress to my life, but in a way it also helps give me a distraction from reality, I think that is definitely something I gain from it.”

This is just one benefit from school, but something else I feel plays a big part are the resources students are given. When speaking about this, Cervantes said, “Yes, I definitely think that counselors are a big help, like when you are having a bad day and need a break; you can go speak to them and they can help guide you.”

I agree that it is comforting knowing students have resources if needed and is something that has helped keep them on track.

I think this puts into perspective the benefits schools provide students, along with the hardships it creates. I believe that if homework policies and work were implemented, it would benefit the overall academic success of students as well as benefit those who struggle emotionally and suffer from mental health problems.

We as students, need to bring attention to these struggles and help make a change. Spread awareness, and if you or someone you know is struggling, bring it to a trusted adult or seek out helpful resources.