The pressures of getting A’s, captaining the soccer team, and starring in the school musical can weigh heavily on overachieving teens. At the Utah County Academy of Sciences in Orem, students shared their experiences of intense academic pressure.

In a recent discussion with juniors and seniors at UCAS, Fox 13 News asked a question: “How many of you would consider yourself very tight, very tight?” Only a few hands went up. When asked how many were relaxed, several students raised their hands, highlighting the varying levels of stress among students.

UCAS, ranked the top Utah high school by Niche, a ranking and review website, is no stranger to academic stress. Junior Reuben Uribe talked about the challenging curriculum. “Many of the courses here at UCAS are actually very rigorous. A lot of the classes I have in particular involve a lot of things to do instead of just “Here’s a lecture, here’s a lesson. Now learn it. ‘ You can actually apply it in the classroom, and I think like this application, learning and doing can be very challenging,” Uribe said.

EG Turner, also a junior, said, “I came in saying, ‘God, I want to go to this school, I can do this.’ But when it comes to the juniors this year, I feel like I’m almost burned out at some point.”

Political science professor Jeff Ferlo emphasized the importance of project-based learning. “My class is very project based. I teach political science, so one of the things we did this year is give them a project where they had to go out into the community and find something to do. is to help them be where they want to be in life and make a difference in this world, wherever they are,” he said.

Child and family psychologist Dr. Doug Goldsmith noted the pressure high achievers face. “The high achievers feel overwhelmed and feel like they have to work a lot, and some of them are able to focus more on school and on certain activities. Average performers try to balance. “I have piano and I have church and I have all these other activities, and I squeeze them in and I want my screen time before I go to bed.” Screen time and phones created chaos,” Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith also noted that younger students, such as seventh and eighth graders, feel the pressure. He said: “I’ve heard from seventh and eighth graders who are panicking. “I just flunked my math test today and I won’t be able to go to college” and a lot of therapy work is needed. Help them understand that seventh and eighth grade is training and preparation for ninth grade, and that will count.”

To help reduce stress, Goldsmith suggested scheduling between 4 and 9 p.m. “As they start to set up the schedule, two things happen,” he said. “The first is that they realize this isn’t going to work and I have to be in bed by nine o’clock and I’m not going to get it all done. Or they realize they’re doing it and they’re actually, they’ll have time for my screens and my friends after dinner, they’ll have free time, and they can start getting better organized. This is a piece that parents have to help with.”

Students shared their future aspirations and dreams. Senior Kai Heftel humorously listed his career goals: “I want to be Mr. Ferlo, a biomedical engineer and take over the world,” drawing laughter from his classmates. Senior Chanel Thomas expressed interest in becoming a teacher or corporate attorney. Junior EG Turner hopes to become a marine biologist, while junior Porter McCuistion is considering a career in mechanical engineering. Senior Charlie Midy also aims to become a mechanical engineer, and junior Asher Richardson candidly stated, “I want to go into business management, yes. I just want to make a lot of money, basically,” drawing laughter again. Junior David Wood admitted, “I have no idea. But I still have time, so I’m still looking at things.”

Goldsmith suggested that students could benefit from a gap year to explore different careers and volunteer opportunities. “Kids might need a gap year to be able to explore and see what they want to do, explore different jobs and different opportunities and learn how to volunteer. That’s how we can guide them to become successful adults,” he said.

For parents who suspect their teens are under too much pressure, Goldsmith advised watching for signs such as irritability, nervousness, sleep disturbances or withdrawal from activities. If these symptoms are present, it may be necessary to seek professional help to ensure the well-being of their child.