Riverside students are struggling to manage their responsibilities.
By Nellie Purdy and Nico Jordan
Teenage years are supposed to be tough, but junior Zainab Shattawi didn’t expect school to make them even harder.
Shattawi is one of many students at Riverside that has a job. After a day of classes, she clocks in at Harris Teeter.
“It’s very hard going home, especially late at night, knowing that I still have to stay up later to do work,” she said.
Shattawi describes work in addition to school as stressful.
“When I get home, I’m already very tired, so I won’t be able to do my work,” she said. “I get very behind and it just adds on top of it.”
Shattawi has recently been more stressed than usual as the semester came to an end.
“I was most stressed when I had to finish a lot of assignments, trying to be exempted from finals and stuff.”
Shattawi isn’t the only student feeling this way. The CDC reports that four in ten high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, much of which could be caused by school.
When Riverside’s doors open at 8:45, students flow in. The bell rings at 9:15 and classes consume the rest of the day, dragging on for what feels like forever to some, but is really only until 4:15.
Then students get to leave school, but have to wait for the slow carline and late buses.
On top of this, some students have to stay even later after school to do sports or other extracurriculars.
Spending a bare minimum of 7 hours inside the building, school takes up almost half of a student’s waking hours.
That number only increases when the time it takes to get to school, the time spent waiting to go home, after school activities, and any homework students have for their four classes.
Many students are balancing schoolwork with athletics, clubs, work, a social life, and family duties. It’s easy to understand why so many teens struggle with mental health.
“I think our highest GPA this year is a 4.83,” said school counselor Shannon Doherty. “That’s out of a 4.0 scale. So there is an immense pressure on students to perform perfectly. How do you even get a GPA that high? You have to be close to almost everything completely right, so that is a huge pressure piece for sure.”
Data suggests that the school environment has a major impact on teens’ mental health, and Riverside students list finals, tests, and college applications as their biggest stressors.
“It’s a lot,” said freshman Adelina Smith. “I have two final projects [due] this week, so I’m really worried about getting everything done.”
“It’s just a lot of work and a lot of things to do and it can be really hard to keep track,” said sophomore Izzy Halpern.
“It’s just overwhelming because there is a lot of essay writing and you have to manage your schoolwork along with applications,” said senior drum major Andrew Pipeling. “Right now, college applications, music portfolios, and music auditions [are the most stressful].”
Students’ mental health is affected by more than just academic pressure at school.
“[Marching band] is definitely something for me to stress about,” said Smith. “Since there’s not that many of us there’s a lot of pressure to get everything right and not mess up.”
“When I get home [from work], I’m already very tired, so I won’t be able to do my work. I get very behind and it just adds on top of it,” said Shattawi.
Doherty has also noticed the decline in students’ mental health.
“I think we’ve seen a rise in mental health issues amongst adolescents,” Doherty says. “[It has] a lot to do with technology use and constant stimulation and constant immediate gratification.”
From her perspective: sleep deprivation, social struggles after COVID, the stress of school and families pushing their children to reach perfection harm mental well-being.
It’s not all bad, however. Schools also act as a safe space for many students and allow them to connect with peers and caring adults.
“[My mental health] is getting better. It used to be pretty bad, but it’s pretty good now,” said senior Katie Beckwith. “[My] social life was not always the best at school. But now I think I have a good support system.”
“[My mental health is] mostly upheld by sports,” said senior John Feller, who was a captain on the 2024 men’s soccer team. “It can be [more stressful] but it’s a good way to escape the stress for an hour each day. Having friends and a good community that’s around you that can support you and also just being so busy you can’t think about other things.”
“[Riverside has] given me a lot of my friendships,” said senior Maya Hopkins.
“[School clubs are] definitely an outlet,” said Pipeling. “It’s a chance to do good in the community without worrying about academics.”
“I hear more from students that being a part of a sports team or a club is positive,” said Doherty. “I think the payout of having that community and that team and also being able to be outside and exercise and have that routine is more beneficial for students’ mental health.”
Some adolescents are more vulnerable to mental health conditions and suicide than others. Exposure to abuse, poverty, and violence can drastically increase this risk.
Poor mental well-being as a teen can continue into adulthood, often leading to increased behavioral and health risks.
Editor’s note: If you are struggling with mental health, there are many resources available including school counselors, friends and family, and mental health hotlines. To reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, dial 988.
