Student Mindsets

By James Yu Apr 3, 2026

With the skyrocketing competitiveness of college admissions, students are increasingly feeling the pressure to achieve academic success. Indeed, a 2024 nationwide survey by the Princeton Review found that 73% of over 10,800 college applicants were highly stressed regarding applications, a significant increase from 56% in 2003. At the epicenter of these worries is finals season, as students cram for their final exams and AP tests. The Pew Research Center in 2025 reported that 68% of teenagers feel major pressure to get good grades. As students rapidly approach this tumultuous season, we interviewed two students to find out how they handle the heat and what keeps them going.

One of the many college applicants concerned over grades and college results is Senior Woojin Lee. Faced with hardship from both classes and work but also the heightened competitive culture for high school students in the Bay Area, he is adamant that academic pressure is the most common stressor for students such as himself. Sophomore Shivansh Sathya feels similar pressure; balancing his energy across developing extracurriculars and maintaining stellar grades in preparation for college applications, he feels that sometimes there are too few hours in the day to meet the expectations of those around him.

“With so many applicants yet so few spots at the most desired universities, the pressure to achieve academic perfection is real. While the movies I grew up watching painted high school as a time of partying and exploration, the only partying I have been doing is when my final grade shows up as an A,” said Lee.

In response to the immense academic rigor, Shivansh is picking up new ways to manage the workload. He breaks up large assignments into small, actionable steps to ensure that consistent progress is made. This keeps him motivated, as each accomplishment assures him that his effort is bearing fruit.

“Although I struggle with quickly locating the evidence needed to draft a strong debate case, it helps to find one piece of evidence each day,” said Sathya.

On the other hand, Woojin finds respite in fitting in pleasure between his busy academic schedule. By mixing in hangouts with friends and frequent “osu!” gaming sessions, he stays refreshed while avoiding feeling overwhelmed.

Both students find overcoming their hardships fulfilling. Woojin sees each academic challenge as an investment into his future, with each accomplishment fueling his growth. For example, by practicing tooth and nail to perfect his speech for Speech and Debate, Woojin believes he has matured not only as a communicator, but also as a person through the interactions he’s shared with friends on the Speech team, from navigating busy airports to consoling peers through failure. Shivansh shares this sentiment, expressing that spending quality time with classmates over shared struggles brings relief, and their collective drive to succeed in college applications provides mutual motivation.

“While living up to my family’s expectations for my academics is a major driver to focus, I find the most motivation from working together with my peers, whether it is working on a group project together or studying through hurdles in Pre-Calc. Studying for a major test feels like nothing when I’m thinking through problems with friends over food and occasional video game breaks,” said Sathya.

Meanwhile, when Woojin faces a setback, he doesn’t let himself feel ashamed; instead, he reassures himself that giving up would only hinder his progress further. He focuses on identifying what went wrong and adjusting his approach to prevent it from happening again.

Now that he is a senior past the college admissions process, Woojin is finding new reason to finish out his high school years strong by guiding his younger peers. In Speech and Debate, Woojin coaches his peers’ speaking, offering insights to teammates derived from his past experience. When underclassmen like Shivansh turn to him for advice on academics, Woojin’s greatest piece of advice is to not compare your stress and workload to peers.

“Be understanding to yourself and others. I don’t think there should be a scale of who’s going through a harder time; everyone faces their own hardships. Take pride in overcoming your own battles; you have earned it!”

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About the Contributors

James Yu

Ad Manager

James Yu is a Senior at Leland High School and Ad Manager for The Charger Account. He loves listening writing sweet ledes! Outside of Journalism, he enjoys debating for the debate team, hanging out with friends, and sleeping.