October 2023

Recognizing and Managing

Academic Pressure and Anxiety

Jennifer Williams, Dean of Academics

Academic pressure and anxiety are common challenges faced by students at different levels of education, and the rising emotional and physiological impact anxiety is having on students today was recently examined in a large study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Of the 540,000 students surveyed in 72 countries, 66% of students reported feeling stressed about poor grades, and 59% reported that they often worry that taking a test will be difficult. As many as 37% of students reported feeling very tense when studying, with girls consistently reporting greater anxiety relating to schoolwork compared to boys.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, educational researchers continue to report increased student anxiety levels, and the data from our Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) reaccreditation School Report for Growth in March 2023 revealed the same at Prince. Our study utilized the Flourishing School Culture Instrument (FSCI), and while our students’ self-reported anxiety levels were lower than their K-12 peers, we dedicated two of the four areas in our self-study titled “Examining the PreK-12 Christian Covenant School Model with an Emphasis on Academic Excellence, The Whole Student, Strategic and Financial Planning, and the Well Being of the Family-School Community” to examine the quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus group) data to better understand and meet the needs of our students.

It is important for students and parents to identify and manage these challenges to avoid negative consequences such as declining academic performance, poor mental health, and physical illness. Parents and students should evaluate stress levels and be aware of the following characteristics of differing stress factors in one’s education:

Academic pressure can stem from expectations placed on students by parents, teachers, and society regarding academic performance. This can be especially challenging for students who feel they are not meeting these expectations.

Anxiety is often caused by the fear of failure and uncertainty about one’s performance on exams. Time pressure occurs when students have too many assignments to complete within strict deadlines. Academic competition arises when students feel they are in a constant struggle to outperform their peers. Anxiety can lead to negative feelings about school or dread of attending school.  

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Strategies that can help with managing these challenges include prioritizing time management, seeking support from teachers and peers, engaging in self-care activities, and developing healthy coping strategies. Prince Avenue Christian School offers a student advisor who can also assist students in dealing with these struggles.

I encourage you to have ongoing discussions with your children regarding the academic pressures they are facing. Help them understand these are real struggles that many students face, but everyone in their school community is here to support them.