Breaking Point: Inside the Mental & Physical Toll of 9th Grade
Saying goodbye to your classmates isn’t easy, but saying hello to a whole new life in a new school surely isn’t less scary for ninth graders too. It serves as a time for transition and change, where adolescents navigate the complexities of choosing a new school, different social dynamics and increased academic demands.
From physical pain and problems to mental challenges faced daily the school experience for ninth graders is a delicate balance between growth and struggle.
This month, I interviewed my friends in school about the problems that school has caused them, including some easy things that we can improve on to lessen the impact of academics in our lives + proposals for infrastructural changes.
The main problem was body pain, eye strain and tiredness. Sometimes, deadlines and tests can get overwhelming to the point where you have to sacrifice some hours of sleep just to fit in the material you have to study, leading to sleep deprivation.
Students who have taken part in several competitions have faced bigger struggles, like myself and my friend Shejma, who had to balance several competitions, extracurricular activities, and schoolwork. This inevitably leads to burnout, which is a phenomenon that is quite common in today’s society. My other friends, such as Irem and Tuana, reported that bumps on their fingers were also visible and sometimes painful. Is this a sign to include more computer typing? We’ll see what the future has in store for us!
Besides the many physical problems, students have been reporting more signs of depression, anxiety, and stress, causing the inability to live freely. Thankfully, our city has been starting to see some changes for the better, but the main pillars of hygiene and proper student development facilities (such as libraries, sports halls, labs, etc.) have been deficient.
Through this article, I hope the local authorities become more aware that students are able to achieve more in their own fields if the support from them is greater.
How can we improve?
Here are my proposals:
- Every elementary school should have a sports hall, complete with the necessary materials needed for every sport.
- Labs for special subjects like:
- Mathematics: for working on digital projects (on apps like: Geogebra, Mathigon, etc.).
- Physics, for verification of theoretical problems, development of critical thinking skills and experimental techniques.
- Chemistry, for verification of chemical principles and safety awareness.
- Art and music rooms, where students can express their creativity freely.
- Special educational sources for students with special needs.
- Proper security measures (surveillance cameras, safety drills, etc.).
- Libraries with books of wide ranges in genres.
- Career guidance and counseling services, especially for ninth graders that are a bit lost in this process.
These measures will ensure that students have more certainty in their decisions when 9th grade comes by, simultaneously resulting in less stress and panic.
By also including a lot of physical activity, we can stimulate our nervous system, and this will inevitably help in our studies too. Our young journalists have mentioned the many clubs for different sports in the previous issues, so make sure to check them out if you’re interested!
Close relations to friends and family will be the main pillar of support, so never be afraid to seek help from them! Plan well in advance and stick to the plan so deadlines won’t catch up to you.
Did this article help you in any way? If yes, I’m glad I could help!
I’d also like to encourage other teenagers to take action and make changes in the city, little by little. As our magazine name suggests: ‘’Pegasus Student Voice’’, so use your voice to change the city!
