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In an economy where opportunities often seem hard to come by, anyone who wishes to succeed must be able to climb above the masses. Times have definitely changed, and the job market is no longer the only cutthroat industry in which rivalry is rampant.
High school students are constantly being reminded to set themselves apart and elevate themselves above the majority. Especially now, with scholarships scarce and competition to get into “brand name” colleges higher than ever, high school classrooms are turning into breeding grounds for high levels of classmate competition.
Junior Chantelle McHugh admits that although competitiveness motivates her to push herself, it also creates added pressure to her already challenging courseload. But McHugh never forgets the main cause for student rivalry: “These are the kids I’m competing against to get into college so I feel like I have to be on the same level as them.”
While a little friendly competition can actually provide students with an incentive to strive for better grades, too often it turns classes into a rat race that stimulates cheating, lying, and unnecessary stress on students who are already pushing their limits.
“Sometimes [competition] crosses the line, causing stress and lowering confidence and self-esteem,” said senior Lindsay Goldstein. Not to mention the tension it creates between peers. “People looking up others’ grades, lying about their test scores just to intimidate others…its long turned into animosity among some students,” said junior Aaron Brookner.
Many students seem to forget that high school should be enjoyable as well as challenging. “[The competition] makes students kill themselves mentally and sacrifice their social lives just because they feel what they’re doing isn’t good enough,” said junior Joel Haines.
In their determination to surpass their peers, students sometimes forget that the goal of high school isn’t to beat everyone else. Instead of trying to get the highest grades, students should start focusing more on achieving the highest education.
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