With the school year now in full swing, many CHS students find their workload to be overbearing. The transition from summer to school can be difficult for students to adapt to, especially when considering schoolwork and students’ everyday busy schedules.

Academic burnout occurs when a student simply has too much on their plate, and causes a lack of motivation according to University of the People. An immense amount of homework, extracurricular activities and college on the horizon for upperclassmen is enough to raise students’ stress levels drastically.

The overwhelming workload can take a toll on a students’ physical, mental and emotional health. Seven out of 10 teens in the U.S. (between 13 and 17 years old) have named anxiety or depression as a major problem among their peers in the community according to Research.com.

The beginning of the school year is arguably the most difficult time of the year for upperclassmen — juniors and seniors alike — due to the stress of preparing for the SAT and college applications looming over their heads.

“I felt more burnt out with the amount of work I had to do between SAT prep and schoolwork,” said junior Maxim Libizov of Marlboro. “SAT prep made me less motivated for school because I had to put more effort into that work, rather than school.”

Athletics and extracurricular activities also significantly factor into students’ mental health. Along with practices and games, student athletes have to find time for homework, studying and even for their social life. Students who are part of extracurricular organizations such as the drama club have major time commitments and responsibilities they have to fulfill outside of schoolwork as well.

Junior Kaitlin Brice of Wall Township balances athletics and academics as a field hockey player and CHS student.

“It is really easy to get stressed thinking there isn’t enough time in the day to balance all of these things, but spending time wisely is super important,” Brice said.

Furthermore, the long summer months play a role in why students struggle with the workload of coming back to school. The American Educational Research Journal found that 52% of students lost an average of 39% of their total school
year gains during the summer months.

“It’s also easy to get burned out in the beginning of the school year because it feels like you have to learn everything all over again,” Brice said. “But I am finally starting to get the hang of things.”