I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do after getting home from school and sports is sit down and do three hours of homework. Growing up, I always heard people say that junior year of high school is the toughest, and here I am now, a second-semester junior at a public high school in California, to confirm it.

AP classes, standardized tests, and a high GPA—these are three things many people strive for in terms of academic excellence. Yet now, more than ever, both I and many others who value education and learning are struggling to simply keep up.

"I picked classes that I'm interested in, but they’re still very hard. Often, I feel like work keeps piling on. It’s either studying for a test, doing homework, or working on a project or essay, but especially in junior year, it feels never-ending. I've always been a good student, but this year it’s been hard to stay motivated and balance all of my homework, work, sleep, self-care, and social time.” (Eva Katz)

School isn’t the only thing in many teens' lives. Some play sports, some have jobs, some volunteer, and the majority of you reading this are likely involved in BBYO. We are at school for roughly six hours a day, 180 days a year. Now, I’m hardly a math person but bear with me while I break down just one day in the life of a high school student.

There are 24 hours in a day, and the recommended amount of sleep for teens is 8–10 hours. Those nine hours of sleep plus six hours of school already account for 15 of the 24 hours. Let’s now add in 2–3 hours of sports practice plus 2–3 hours of homework, which puts us at roughly 20 hours. That leaves only four hours in the day, which most people spend eating, doing chores, taking a shower, and handling other commitments. That now puts us at T-minus one hour until we've run out of time.

One hour seems like plenty of time for yourself, right? It’s not. That’s just 60 minutes, which is barely any time at all. It would also mean going nonstop for 15 hours with no breaks. That’s hardly realistic, which means that 24 out of 24 hours have gone by, leaving zero time for yourself.

"The third point I would like to bring up is that with all of the commitments and work many teens have, we are always planning for the future and failing to live in the present. Weekends and breaks have suddenly become catch-up days.

I enjoy most of my classes and the content, but I find myself wishing I had more time to myself and that every waking moment wasn’t spent building up my resume. I’m not saying that school shouldn’t challenge and push you; what I’m saying is that it shouldn’t break you."

We are constantly told to prepare for the future, yet if we’re not careful, we’ll end up missing out on the present. As we navigate high school and life beyond, it’s crucial to remember that academic achievements aren’t the only measure of success. While it may not always be obvious at the moment, finding a balance is essential for long-term well-being and fulfillment.