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TO SOME students, homework time is not just hard on the thought processes. It can also be very
strassful if they are under pressure to perform from their parents and teachers.

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Insect Science

330-1

WHAT IS student stress?
Student stress is often caused
by pressure from adults
whether they be your parents
or teachers, In my case it was
a bit of both.

At the age of 41-42, my mom
went back to school, to Vancouver
Community College for a four-
month computer course. During this
time, my mom and I did our home-
work together.

My mom got As, A+s, and B+s
because she worked hard. She told
me that if 1 worked hard, 1 could
expect good results as well, but if J
wanted to “just pass,” then these
marks would not put me in good
standing for going to college, or
even getting a good job.

She added that Cs and C-s were
not, these days, considered good
enough marks.

Somehow | felt put down by my
mom’s achievements.

Also, my mom felt that being the
eldest, I should set an example for
my younger brother. Sometimes this
was difficult. | felt a lot of pressure.

I hear my friends talk about how
they always get the blame for their
younger siblings. This is when I
started to realize that the pressures
of school, family problems and life
were getting to me.

I started to miss «lasses.
Although, I still wanted to go to
school, | found that missing classes
was the easiest way out of this
predicament.

Before I started to miss school, | -
had left home for 34 weeks. I stayed
at a friend’s house. I guess I wanted
to put my mom through the same
troubles that I perceived she had put
me through.

In my opinion that was the best
way to get back at her for what |
perceived she had done to me. I was
wrong because I put her through
more than what she could handle.

it was recommended by my
school counsellor that I see a psychi-
atrist for my problems, When I went
to go see him I felt a lot better, but I
was diagnosed as stressed out and I
became totally depressed.

That is why J dropped out of -
school. I did, however start schoo!
again this semester, taking courses
that I feel are right for me, and J
hope to graduate.

Teachers need to realize that we
also have other responsibilities like
household chores and part-time jobs.

| interviewed a couple of people
and asked them to voice their opin-
ion on this topic:

Do you think that students get
stressed out?

OC.G., 17: * Yes I do think stu-
dents get stressed out because the
teachers and parents are always
telling you to get high marks and
wher you can’t get these marks,
your parents are always putting you
down.”

OR.C.,, 17: “Yeah because the
teachers are always trying to teach
you something and when you don't
pay any attention they get mad and
feel as if they are wasting their time
then, you start to miss bits and

THIS WEEK'S ZAP! story examines the siress
that can be created when students feel pressured
to perform, Do you think you are under pressure
to get improve the marks you get? If so, who is
pushing you to do better — teachers, parents,
yourself, or someone else?

ore

pieces of your classwork and then
your parents start to nag at you
because you are not getting the
grades that they expect you to.”
GOS., 18: “T think a lot of the
teachers put too much stress on stu-
dents. They sit there and build up
too much homework and they don’t
give you enough time to do any-
thing.

“At the same time your parents
are always telling you to do better at
school, especially if you have sib-
lings who were high achievers at
school and they expect you to live
up to your siblings’ example.”

Do your parents also push you to
do better?

OOS., 18: “I'm not sure because
my mom was never telling me about
how good she was at school. My
brother was the one who was getting
As and I just had to live up to him.
Then there were teachers that were
telling you, ‘You're not doing good
enough and you shouldn't be in this
class.”

I dealt with these problems when
my mom and I sat down a couple of
times and made up a little contract.
This may not work with everybody,
but so far the contract is stilt wark-
ing for us. There are times, however,
when I break the contract and my
mom lets me know. Hopefully, next
time ! won't make the same mis-
takes,

I think that sometimes our par-
ents want the best for us when we
are teenagers. However, they don't
want to actually listen to what we
want. This is the reason why most
people run away. Someone said to
me that they have a stress-free
house. Well I don’t think so. Every
household in one way or another
experiences stress.

The problems I faced are com-
mon among most teenagers and their
farnilies. It is part of growing up.
Everybody goes through this at one
point in their lives and if you don’t
then you are one of the few lucky
ones,

Stress is what you make of it. If
you make it get worse then it will
get worse, but if you don’t then
there is a chance it will build up and,

_ when it reaches the end of your teth-

er, it will hit you like a ton of bricks.
Dave Gifford, 18, is a Grade 12
student at Carson Graham sec-
ondary school. His hobbies include
gliding, flving and hunting, but he is
interested is filming, sound and
lighting as well. He hopes to become
a lighting or sound technician... +,
Lan . es ~-t beta

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