Many students have very busy lives after school, filled with activities including school clubs, sports, and work. Then students often go home to a heavy load of work. While some students are able to manage busy lifestyles, they tend to miss out on the social experiences that come with high school.

It is already hard enough adjusting back to a full day/full week school schedule after the summer break, but that was expected. What has been surprising, however, is how quickly the schedule fills up, leaving little time for homework and studying, let alone socializing or a healthy sleep schedule.

Looking for a professional option about back-to-school stress, I spoke with Joanna Katz, Pascack Valley School Social Worker/Student & Family Liaison and member of the Child Study Team.

“I absolutely think that there is an increase in stress at the beginning of the school year,” Katz said. “Transition times, in general, can escalate stress, from summer to coming back into school.”

Some might say that students have the ability to choose their course loads, extracurriculars, and outside-of-school activities. However, there is an immense amount of societal pressure on today’s students to get good grades, go to college, and get a good job to support them in their future. I believe that these factors influence students’ choices more heavily than does considering schedule that works best for them.

Oftentimes, I see parents having a critical role in a student’s schedule, encouraging them to be as involved as possible so they can have the credentials to continue to be successful throughout life. 

“This year, even more so than last year, I feel like there is more anxiety behind expectations, and even the reality [of school] after the expectations is causing anxiety as well,” Katz said. “Now that we are a month into school, I feel like I am seeing [anxiety] more.”

The lack of activity in the past years due to the pandemic seems to be a driving force behind students’ current desire to get more involved in the school community, but all the interesting options for clubs and activities can pose a new issue: choosing which activities to participate in. 

“I do think we’ve seen a tremendous increase in students struggling with anxiety and other stress-related issues, like feeling overwhelmed, since the pandemic,” Katz said. “I think that any kind of change produces more stress than before; maybe everyone’s coping strategies were better before the pandemic, and now they are worn through.”

Many students won’t admit to the amount of stress they’re going through, justifying it with the idea that their peers have the same classes and activities. But each student processes and deals with work differently; each student has their own capabilities and limits when it comes to workload.

While back-to-school stress is clearly a relevant issue for many high school students, I feel fortunate that PV is a school with resources aimed towards helping students struggling with mental health issues: specifically, a Wellness Center staffed with two professional counselors. Many students are beginning to utilize these resources. 

“There is room for growth, but yes, the students will use the Wellness Center more and more every year,” Katz said.