With exam season fast approaching, some students report feeling more tired and stressed than they did at the beginning of the year.

“The amount of work that teachers assign to us could become a lot, especially if you have extracurriculars outside of school or even inside of school, like clubs,” eighth grader Rilee Nevins said. 

The school’s social worker, Samantha Doomé, noticed a spike in mental health issues for both middle and high school students. It was particularly more apparent in their irritability, peer conflicts and troubles with focus. 

“For middle school and high schoolers, obviously their prefrontal cortex isn’t developed yet,” Doomé said, “so tasks like planning, prioritizing and emotional regulation become very overwhelming during peak stress periods, which is definitely the last two months of school.”

Because the prefrontal cortex is not yet fully developed, students may struggle to plan their next school year. Thus, some students advise peers to be aware of the amount of work some classes may give and how they should balance it with activities. 

“Be more mindful of what class you’re taking,” junior Gabriel Johnson said. “Make sure that you know what extracurriculars you are going to do, so you know you have time because you’re going to have to step up with homework.”

Furthermore, Doomé recommends that students take a step back during the summer to refresh their mental health before jumping back into academics.

“I want you guys to just take this summer and be a kid again because you guys are becoming adults so quickly, so quickly,” Doomé said, “Just take these two months and be a kid.”

By Sunny Han