Let the Kids Live

Dear university executives who know everything and nothing,

Let the kids live a little. I know it seems empowering to create an environment
encouraging a cutthroat competition for good grades. I know your nearly impossible
standards of “success” lead you to believe that your campus is an academic utopia,
free from problems faced by those outside of this bubble. I understand your need to
use GPAs and test scores to appeal to donors and potential students alike. At some
point, however, you must ask yourself when to stop this endless treadmill sprint of
hair-pulling stress fits. You must decide whether we continue our upward trend of
teenage suicide, which by the way reached its highest since 2000 (Frazee and
Morales, 1). Your contribution to the ridiculous standards placed on students makes
you partially responsible for these statistics. Thus, the future of teenage mental
wellbeing rests on your hands. What’s more important to you: the wellbeing of
millions of students or flauntable test scores and donation money?
This problem does not begin in college, as one may initially assume, but rather in
the years leading up to one’s journey throughout university. More than 3 years
before college begins, high school students across the country are forced to take
PSAT tests, priming their minds to start worrying about college before being
halfway done with high school. As soon as results are posted, scores spread like a
virus as every student is eager to see how their “intelligence” compares to that of
their peers. You inspire a culture of superiority and inferiority based on a
number. While this number may tell you who the best reader is or who can work best
with numbers, it is by no means a measurement of intelligence. Your emphasis on
these scores misinforms our students about the true meaning of intelligence, which
has major repercussions upon our society. As Einstein said, “if you judge a fish by
its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid”.
You are judging our schools of fish on the wrong standards, undermining those who
show intelligence in different ways than you see fit.
Since students are forced to abide by these incorrect standards, many seek extra
help in these areas to separate themselves from their peers. A small tutoring fee
is nothing compared to the countless opportunities one will receive by improving
their test scores and getting into a prestigious university, right? This logic
pokes another hole in your skewed emphasis on grades and test scores. While the
wealthier students may be able to afford private tutors to raise their scores, many
less fortunate families do not have disposable income to spend on things that
aren’t necessities. Likewise, while privileged students have the time to study for
hours a day, impoverished students may need to work hours on end to help their
families put food on the table. This creates a noticeable wealth gap in grades and
test scores, as “students from families earning more than $200,000 a year average a
combined score of 1,714”, while “students from families earning under $20,000 a
year average a combined score of 1,326” (Goldfarb, 1). You create a national
socioeconomic divide by the extreme emphasis you place on test scores, thus molding
a campus centered around wealth instead of intelligence.
The toxicity of admissions is not the extent of my grievances within the collegiate
system. It’s just the beginning. Once in college, a whole new world of problems
arise for students. You often lure in potential applicants with utopian visions of
“the best years of your life”, yet the extreme workload placed upon students
contradicts this fantasy. In fact, a 2019 study found that “one in five [college]
students have had thoughts of suicide” (Burrell, 1). Does this sound like “the
experience of a lifetime” to you? Perhaps you may argue that these absurd numbers
are caused by other factors, such as relationships or finances. You’d be wrong. A
2009 survey by the American College Health Association-National College Health
Assessment found that 44.2% of students identified academics as “traumatic or very
difficult to handle” (Leibow, 1). This was “10 percent higher than any other
stressor”, thus cementing academic overload as the primary problem faced within
universities (Leibow, 1). If you truly want the best for your students, you will do
something to lower these crooked statistics. GPAs and rigor are definitely
important, but you must weigh the costs at which these can be achieved.
Since I’ve given you all of this criticism, it would be unfair to conclude without
giving a reasonable solution to this dilemma. Firstly, and I repeat, you must let
the kids live. Encourage applicants to get out, explore the world, and enjoy their
youth. If less emphasis is placed upon grades and test scores, how should you
differentiate potential candidates for the university? In other words, how can we
create a highly academic institution without forcing applicants to dedicate their
lives to academia? Truthfully, I’ve struggled with these questions myself while
writing this paper. If there were an easy answer to this dilemma, it wouldn’t be a
dilemma after all. Here’s my suggestion: encourage applicants and students alike to
follow their passions, but don’t punish those who haven’t discovered their
interests yet. It is difficult to be overcome with stress whilst engaging with
something that resonates with your interests. Fatigue, of course, will come and go
in all forms of work, yet it is easier to deal with when doing something you love.
As for task assignments for current students, I recommend a plan that echoes a
similar workload to that of the workforce. Since school is technically their “job”,
give them a typical 40 hour workweek to preview what the “real world” will be like.
There is no reason to overwork teenagers who, relatively speaking, have an
extremely limited scope of the world and themselves. Let them put in the work
during the day, yet still give them time to find other passions beyond academia.
These kids have already proven that they are academically competitive, so let them
live. Ultimately, it’s up to you to figure out a compromise that both encourages an
academic environment and allows our teenagers to thrive emotionally and socially.
We must change course and set sail for a less toxic journey to and through the
collegiate system.

Works Cited
Burrell, Jackie. “The Grim Numbers Behind Adolescent Suicides and Attempts.”
Verywell Mind,
Verywell Mind, 10 Oct. 2019,
https://www.verywellmind.com/college-and-teen-suicide-statistics-3570768.
Frazee, Gretchen, and Patty Gorena Morales. “Suicide among Teens and Young Adults
Reaches
Highest Level since 2000.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 18 June 2019,
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/suicide-among-teens-and-young-adults-reaches-
highest-level-since-2000.
Goldfarb, Zachary. “These Four Charts Show How the SAT Favors Rich, Educated
Families.”
The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 Apr. 2019,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/03/05/these-four-charts-show-how-
the-sat-favors-the-rich-educated-families/.
Leibow, David. “The Number One Cause of College Unhappiness.” Psychology Today,
Sussex
Publishers, 2 Sept. 2010, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-college-
shrink/201009/the-number-one-cause-college-unhappiness.