Muckraking Essay - Maeve Kilbride

Are Women Fighting Alone?

Since the 19th century, women have been attempting to gain the same rights as the men around them. One of the first main gender inequality fights was women’s suffrage. The first women’s suffrage convention was held in 1864 in Seneca Falls, New York. Women fought for the right to vote until the 19th amendment was passed in 1919, granting women's suffrage. Other battles fought include property rights, sex and rape, as well as many others. Currently, the main battle is equal pay and defining feminism. Although gender equality has made a great deal of progress throughout the years, women and men are still not paid equally, nor are people of color, and feminism has a negative outlook for no good reason.

The Wage Gap

Females in the modern day do not receive the same pay as their male counterparts in the workforce. Even when a male and women have the exact same job, they are not paid equally. Statistically, white women receive about 77 cents per each male’s dollar. This is wrong and unjust. Women work equally as hard as men, so it is not fair that they do not receive equal pay. What should be happening is equal pay for equal work, this is the most logical way to solve this problem. However, some people cannot accept this and women still are paid less. The ratio of cents to dollar from man to women varies throughout the work fields as well. Seventy-seven is the average, but it runs the gamut from 74% to 92%. Statistics have shown that women dentists earn 74 cents to each dollar their male co-workers earn. Pharmacists are on the other end of the spectrum; a female pharmacist earns about 92 cents for each dollar their male coworkers do.

People of Color (P.O.C)

    Women of color are paid less than other women, who are paid less than men. The last time data was taken for the wage gap was in 2010. In that year, African American women were paid roughly 89.8% compared to black men, Hispanic women were paid 91.3%compared to Hispanic men, and Asian women earned 79.7% compared to Asian men. Compared to whites, African Americans were paid 58.7% and Hispanics were paid a mere 69.1% compared to whites.

Simple Solutions

The solution to this issue is simple, and to me (as well as many others) a no - brainer. It should not be a big ordeal for women to receive the same pay as men. Individual companies need to adjust pay and make it equal for all genders. Individual franchises and companies having the ability to do this themselves is a less aggressive approach to the problem. Having equal pay for all genders will reduce the chance of unhappy women and will allow a company to have more options of who works for them. For instance, no woman is going to work for a company knowing that she might not achieve equal pay. Having equal pay increases the variety and diversity of employees in a company, which will please many people.

Femininity vs. Feminism

Yet another issue involving gender equality is the newly found negative outlook on feminism. Being a feminist does not mean that you have a hatred for men, although that is how many people perceive it. Simply put, feminism means that you want equal rights for men and women.   great deal of people in the world believe that only women can be feminists. In reality, anyone can be a feminist. Recently, there have been many speeches speaking about feminism and gender equality in various parts of the world. Actress Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, made a moving speech at the UN about the HeForShe campaign. HeForShe is an is a gender equality movement founded to bring awareness to the fact that gender equality is an issue that should be fought by everyone. Watson also discusses what feminism really is, compared to what people believe it is. In the speech, she says that “feminism has become an unpopular word. Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive.” A solution to the ignorance of the purpose of feminism could be a long, but purposeful, process. Everyone would need to be properly educated on what feminism is and, more importantly, what it is not. There could be feminist conventions held in cities, like there were Women’s Suffrage conventions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It would be nearly impossible to properly educate the entirety of the human race on feminism. If people were willing to publicly speak about it more often, like Emma Watson demonstrated, more people would begin to become educated on the term.        

http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2014/09/emma-watson-un-speech-feminism

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303873604579493850089699972

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/04/16/11391/the-top-10-facts-about-the-wage-gap/

The Impact of Technology on Teens

Jillian Troy   

The Impact of Technology on Teens

With the recent advancements in technology, teenagers have been spending a lot of time using any electronic device whether it be a smartphone or tablet. There is less time talking face to face with people when you can just call or text them. Teenagers go everywhere with their phones and it is hard for them to put them down for a minute without the temptation of looking at them. Although the advancements of technology are good for medical treatment and efficient transportation, teens are taking in these advancements in a negative way, hurting their mental and social development.

       Of all teens who own a cellphone, about half of them own smartphones. They can access the internet whenever they have their phone. Although having the internet on you all the time could be a good thing, teens usually don’t use it for the right purposes. During class time when teachers say you can use your phone for educational purposes, there are multiple students who use this time for checking their social media feeds. Any social media whether it be Instagram or Twitter is usually accessed first when teachers allow phone usage in the classroom. Only the few good students would correctly use the phone

Texting is the second most common use of cell phones, following checking the time 65 percent of high school students use their cell phone in school One-fourth of text messages sent by teens are during class hours 42 percent of teens say they can text with their eyes closed One study shows that teens under 18 years old send and receive 2,779 texts a month Teens send and receive five times more text messages per day than adults Those who send and receive more than 50 texts a day also tend to be heavy users of voice calling 54 percent of teens use text messaging as daily communication, and only 38 percent will call on a cell phone

time wisely and use their phones to help out with the work they are doing. Teenagers are so prone to checking on social media that they forget about the work they need to do.


Social media has changed from being a positive invention to having negative effect on teenagers. It is easy for teens now to bully their peers without getting caught by creating fake profiles. With the hundreds of friends teens have, they probably don’t know more than half of the people behind the profiles. With these people having access to what you say and post, they can comment negative and scarring things. Without knowing all your followers, it is hard to fix the problem and find out who truly said these haunting things. Teenagers only let these random people to follow them so that they like or favorite what they post, because the more favorites and likes you have, the more “popular” you are. In reality, most of these likes are probably because teens told people to go like their posts and pictures. This study shows that on social media, teenagers are often posting where they live, what school they go to, their email address, or their phone number. This allows your random followers to know every detail about you and it is not safe. That random girl who followed you who says she's from out of state could just be a forty year old man in a neighboring town stalking you. With new followers and like notifications, its hard for teens to put their phone down and focus on homework and other important things and to keep them safe from the wrong people following them.        
       
         When the iPhone creating Siri and the Windows phone created Cortana, it is easy for teenagers to ask a question and have it answered immediately by their phone. Teens start to forget how to find out things by themselves when their phone can do all the work for them. Then when Siri or Cortana does not answer correctly, teens get mad that they can not answer a simple question. When if they asked a real person they could probably help them out more than the technology can. With these advancements on their phone, teens forget how to do the little things like asking a person the question or reading a book to find the answer.
         
              Technology has been getting better every day. If used in the right way, technology can help our world be a better place. But when teens start using it the wrong way, it impacts them. teens start to forget how to do simple things because their electronic devices can do all the work for them. It is hard to get teens to start focusing on important things and put their phone down. These advancements are hurting their mental and social growth.

Citations:

"Teens, Social Media, and Privacy." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.

"Teens and Technology 2013." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.

"Technology: The Road to Ruin." Teen Life RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

"Is Technology Ruining Our Kids?" Http://www.apa.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

"7 Ways Technology Is Ruining Our Lives." Thought Catalog. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.

"Are Teenagers Becoming Too Attached to Their Cell Phones? - TopTenREVIEWS."TopTenREVIEWS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Education Has a Price Tag

Education Has a Price Tag

By: Cecilia Chase

       Did you know that college tuition rises faster than inflation? Today, education is one of the most expensive investments a person can make. Students and parents every year take on the challenge of paying for education, whether it be through a public or private college. Families make sacrifices in order to send their children to excellent colleges, but this is not always enough to cover the cost. Not many people know it, but college tuition and fees rose 4.8% since last year and the overall cost rose 3.8%. Although receiving a great education is important to many, some are held back by the cost because they are swamped in student loans, prices limit their options, and the immense role social class plays.

       After college, millions of families are flooded by thousands of dollars in debt from student loans. Some parents and students have spent more than 10 years paying back their loans, while the original cost increased nearly 33% due to interest. Seniors that have graduated this past year have been left with an average of $50,600 in debt; an enormous amount to pay back. From 2008-2012, the debt at graduation grew 6%, while inflation only rose 2% each year. Immediately getting a job after college is exceptionally tough but expected in order to pay off the student loans as fast as possible. People are left with debt that is outrageous and unnecessarily high; finding a way to lower these debts would free many families from the strangling loans they must repay.

A chart showing the increase of the price of tuition at colleges over the years

        Several people are forced to limit their choices to a price range their family can afford.  Many of those who deserve to attend a prestigious college such as Harvard or Duke, where they will strive, have to cross them off their list because they are too expensive. No one should be denied the highest education they deserve due to price or the inability to pay for it. Congressman Mark Pocan expresses his opinion towards expensive colleges in his statement, “By making college unaffordable and student loans unbearable, we risk deterring our best and brightest from pursuing higher education and securing a good-paying job” (Mark Pocan Quotes). Even many in-state or community colleges cost more than some families can afford, with an average cost of $22,820 per year. On average, private colleges cost $44,750 a year; some even reaching past $60,000. Not only are people limited to a certain amount of schools, but also the majors they want to take. Majors in the sciences, engineering, computing, premed, and fine arts cost on average $4,920 more a year than other programs. Looking to save money, some students change their major based on the price; this should not be a deciding factor for a person’s future.

       Social class plays an extensive role in which college a student attends and is accepted by. Children born into affluent families have a huge advantage over children from lower-income families right from the start. They usually receive higher education because they can afford expensive private schools, tutors, and the help they need to grow mentally. Children born into lower-income families often cannot afford tutors or to attend any other school than the ones provided by their city or town. Data from a study done by Kings College London shows that only 13% of children from deprived areas are likely to achieve the top level 5 for the national English tests for 11-year-olds and 24% are expected to receive benchmark five-plus GCSEs at grade C and above. These schools are known to be less prominent and have poorer reputations than private schools. Studies have shown that 27% of math teachers at low income schools have majored in math but 43% at wealthier schools have.

       Most colleges find it more impressive to graduate from a private school than a public one, giving the more prosperous children an unfair advantage over those who are less fortunate. A study done by University College London (UCL) and Kings College London shows that, “the overwhelming factor in how well children do...is social class” (Taylor). Children of wealthy families can afford to attend any college they wish, even without scholarships or financial aid. Other families, who do not have as much money, cannot afford to send their children to prominent colleges, even if their child is accepted. Once again, the children of higher income families have an upper hand on those from lower income families.

       There are some insufficient solutions for the cost of colleges such as financial aid and scholarships. Financial aid bases the amount it gives to a student on the family’s net income, including all the children and parents. This is ridiculous because a family is not going to use all the money they have to pay for one child’s college education. The financial aid agency looks at all the bank accounts, taxes, and bills of the family expecting that if they can afford all their expenses, then they can afford to put more money into college. Scholarships provide some relief from the total cost but not enough money is always given. My brother recently began his first year at UMass Amherst. He wanted to go to Syracuse in New York, but my family could not afford to send him there. Even with the scholarships he was rewarded and the financial aid we received, it was not enough. Many other families face the same struggle; the different forms of financial aid help but do not make a large enough difference.

       Most colleges can afford to lower their tuition and fees while the banks can lower the rate of interest on student loans. Today, going to college is exceptionally important but, “ it's never been more expensive, and our nation's families haven't been in this kind of financial duress since the great depression…We can plow those savings into our students. And we can make college dramatically more affordable,” (Arne Duncan Quotes). Doing so would lessen the cost families have to pay in order for their child to receive the highest education possible and would help relieve some of the debt from student loans. Making a change in the cost of education is an important step the nation should definitely take.

Works Cited

"Arne Duncan Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, 20014. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/arneduncan412132.html>.

Bidwell, Allie. "Loan Debt From Grad Students." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/03/25/how-much-outstanding-loan-debt-is-from-grad-students-more-than-you-think>.

Clark, Kim. "Tuition at Public Colleges Rises." CNN Money. CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2012%2F10%2F24%2Fpf%2Fcollege%2Fpublic-college-tuition%2Findex.html>.

"Education & Socioeconomic Status Fact Sheet." Http://www.apa.org. American Psychological Assosciation, 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-education.aspx>.

"Mark Pocan Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_pocan.html>.

Ping, Jonathan. "Charts: Average New Car Price vs. Average Student Loan Debt 1990-2014." My Money Blog. Mymoneyblog.com, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://www.mymoneyblog.com/new-car-price-vs-average-student-loan-debt.html>.

"Shocking Student Debt Statistics." Fastweb. Fastweb, 15 Apr. 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/3930-shocking-student-debt-statistics>.

"State by State Data." Project on Student Debt:. Peterson's, 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://projectonstudentdebt.org/state_by_state-data.php>.

Taylor, Matthew. "It's Official: Class Matters." The Guardian. The Guardian, 28 Feb. 2006. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Feducation%2F2006%2Ffeb%2F28%2Fschools.education>.

"What's the Price Tag for a College Education?" COLLEGEdata. Collegedata, 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_payarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10064>

School Needs to Start Later

School Needs to Start Later

           There is no doubt that high school students start off the day tired.  Some even turn to coffee to help them wake up.  Nine hours of sleep, on average, are necessary for adolescents.  Most teenagers are unable to get this much sleep due to extremely early start times in high school.  As a result, they need another hour or two of sleep every night.  School should really start around 9:00.  This would reduce the amount of time for a student to do homework in the afternoon; however it leaves a possibility for the student to finish up their work in the morning.  High school should start later in the day because students wake up too early, they are not focused enough in their earlier classes, and the use of coffee is an unhealthy way for young students to wake up.

Studies show that on average, high school students wake up for school at 6:30am.  School starts on average at 7:30, meaning he or she needs to leave one’s house around 7:00, whether he or she walks, gets a ride, or takes the bus.  This gives high school students about a half hour to shower and eat breakfast (a.k.a. the most important meal of the day).  Studies also show that on average, students go to bed around 10:15 – 10:30.  This gives students about eight hours of sleep.  During adolescence, teens require a little over nine hours to sleep to be fully functional the next day, according to the sleep foundation. An Illinois high school ran a study of how many hours of sleep high school students are getting. (graph above). An easy solution is to tell the students to go to sleep earlier rather than later in the evening.  The problem is, however, if you play a sport you have practice every day and students have at least an hour and a half of homework every night. Some students also have jobs they need to fit into their schedule.  And of course, they also need to eat dinner.  There just is not enough time for students to do all of these things after school and get to bed on time and be ready for the next day.

Being focused in class is very important especially when the teacher has the students take notes.  Teachers give students no excuse for being too tired to stay awake in class.  A student needs to be focused to understand the material that he or she is being taught.  If he or she is not getting the required nine hours of sleep to be fully focused, then there is no way for the student to learn to his or her potential.  This can result in lower test grades which can look bad not only for the student, but also for the school.  For the student to learn more, school needs to start around 9:00 and go until about 3:30.  This would give the student more time in the morning, allowing more time to sleep, and to make sure that no student skips breakfast because they do not have enough time.  With a later school day start, eating breakfast, having all of their work done, and having more time to sleep, almost guarantees that grades and morale for school will go up.

High school students should not have to depend on coffee in the morning.  Studies show that 10% of consumers that go into Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are teenagers under 18. Coffee can become so addicting that it is hard to go a day without it. A recent study shows that over 14% of coffee drinkers are age 13-24. The day that a student does go without it, he or she will not have the energy and strive that is needed on a normal basis.   A student should not have to depend on coffee to keep them going throughout the day, especially early in the day in their first period class at 7:30.  If classes started at 9:00, a student would most likely wake up between 7:45 and 8:00, giving them over an extra hour of sleep.  If a student got this extra hour, they will not need their morning coffee.

High school needs to start later in the morning because students wake up too early, they are not focused enough in their earlier classes, and coffee is not a healthy way for young students to wake up.  This will result in higher test grades, less students falling asleep in class, and maybe even more excitement to go to school.   There are nine hours of sleep required to be at your best during the day and high school students simply  are not getting enough sleep.  Now think, should your school be starting later in the day?

Sources

http://www.uni.illinois.edu/og/news/2008/03/running-empty-look-student-sleeping-h

http://www.fastbreakbev.com/blog.php#.VE7jlvl4opA
http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep

Eradicating the Gender Pay Gap: Will It Ever Close?

   

Eradicating the Gender Pay Gap: Will It Ever Close?

Christina Wright

    In a country where everything is supposed to be equal, the “land of opportunity”, how is it acceptable for half of the population to be making 77 cents for every dollar the other half

makes? The disturbing truth is that this is our reality. Based upon a recent study by the National Women’s Law Center, on average a woman is paid 23 cents less per dollar than a man is for the same career. In some cases, such as in Wyoming, the gap is even larger at 33 cents per dollar. Although activists have pushed for reform, the small changes that were made offered little relief to the pay difference amongst men and colored women and to the exponential growth of the gender pay gap as women work to advance into higher positions.

    To add strength to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which on paper eliminated the discrimination in the work place, President Kennedy passed the Equal Pay Act in order to specify the eradication of gender discrimination in means of salary.  However, even after the added legislative support, women still faced an astronomical pay difference of 41 cents less for every dollar a man earns.  This disturbing trend continues today, even though the gap has shrunk over the past few decades, it shows no signs of closing completely any time soon.

    Furthermore, the difficulties with the pay discrimination are grimmer for women of color. Blacks and Latinas are faced with even more startling statistics than white or Asian women. Forbes Magazine reports “African American women make 53 cents on the dollar [made by men] while Hispanic women make only 44 cents”. This massive gap in salaries contributes to the higher poverty rates amid colored families especially when the woman holds the primary income.  The lack of concern amongst the population over this disparity is alarming, however the “big wigs” of business are primarily men, who dominate the field.  

    A common misconception is that the world of business is meant for men. This is fueled by the lack of women in higher up positions within a company.  Troubling statistics of the growth of the gap as salaries increase deter women from continuing to work instead of taking time to raise a family or focus on other aspects of their lives.  A recent study by the Institute of Women’s Policy collected data from a population of women in the workplace and posted their data in the Economist Newspaper:

As women climb up the commercial ladder, the pay deficit only increases. The same study brought to light that 30% of women who supply the main source of income in a household live in poverty. This is not only discouraging but it is also extremely alarming.

These disparities affect almost every woman of every race, whether they work or not. It indirectly reduces the number of women present in the workplace and it impacts whether or not the gap will ever decrease. Forbes reporter Lisa Maatz remarked how "I know my calendar says 2014 but I'm having trouble believing it". The fate of the pay incongruences is ultimately up to women and needs to be left in the past. It has been left up to the men in politics for the past century but for change to happen it has to come directly from the ones who feel the effects of gender pay gaps, the working women of America.

Sources:
"The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Fall 2014)." AAUW: Empowering Women Since 1881. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.
"The Awful Truth Behind The Gender Pay Gap." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.

"America's Gender Wage Gap." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

"Charlotte." Charlotte. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Women should be required a Part of the Selective Service System

        Today in America women are not included in the Selective Service System. Many people in the United States believe that woman should be required to be involved in the draft system.  The fact that Selective Service applies to only men in the United States could be viewed as disrespectful, it also seems inconsistent with the idea of equality between the sexes, which is an important goal of many other areas of American society today.

        

The Selective Service System has existed in the United States in some form since World War I.  There have been many changes in the way Selective Service has worked over the years.  During times of war, young men have been required to register for the draft and in some cases serve a term of service in the military.  During times of peace, young men have only been required to register for the draft.  Today male citizens and male immigrants living in the United States who are between the ages of 18 and 25 are required to register for military service with the Selective Service.   

        Today in America in many areas of our society there is a push for equality between men and women.  Women have entered the workforce in many professions that used to be dominated by men.  Professions like doctors, lawyers, business executives and teachers are not much more balanced between the sexes.  This equality has also started to enter the sports world where professional leagues for women exist in many sports including basketball and soccer.   However this sense of equality has not become a part of the Selective Service process.

        Some people believe that only men are allowed in the Selective Service System because of their masculinity and manpower.  However it makes more sense in American society today to include women in the Selective Service System because of the idea of equal treatment between the sexes. In one of its other directives, the Selective Service requires “full civic participation from both women and men.” (Article, Selective Service Is an Obligation of Citizenship, they including Women.) Based upon this directive, there does not seem to be any reason why women should not be required to be a part of Selective Service. 

  
Although today only men are required to participate in the Selective Service System, this policy no longer makes sense.  Women have equal rights in so many other areas of American society including; voting, in the workplace, in the professional sports world and in many other areas.  It would make sense for the American government to re-think this process and start to include women in the Selective Service System in order to bring a sense of fairness and equality to this system.
Sources: 1. "Selective Service System: Registration Information." Selective Service System: Registration Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
2.  "Selective Service System: Fast Facts." Selective Service System: Fast Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

The Quest For A's

    My parents always told me, “Study hard, get straight A’s, and maybe you’ll go to a good college.” I didn't see any reason not to. I stuck my face in those geometry textbooks and began studying the minute I open it. From time to time, I knew it would be worth it. I would obtain a perfect quiz score by my teacher. However, there were times that it felt as if the world crushed me. I once got a seventy-three on my English Language Test, and I panicked crazily. Everyone else got eighties or nineties. I was in paranoia. I hid it until I went to a social worker about this issue. What would my parents think? Would this ruin my chances to go to a good college?

    Overtime, I gradually moved on from the issue. However, even though I do have a good number of A’s on my report card anyways, I’m still a little bit stressed out about this one dreaded B+ I get. Unfortunately, I cannot be the only one who has an issue with straight A’s. There must are people out there whose sole purpose in high school is to become part of the top five students in their schools; get straight A+’s and score a perfect 2400 on the SAT’s.These students, including me, are ruining their high school lives by worrying too much about obtaining perfect grades.

    What could happen if a student spends too much time on studying? Let’s say the average high school student has a curfew of 10:00. If the average high school student goes to high school for the eight hours, has a club to attend to for a hour, and a sports game that can last for at least two hours to four hours, then the student only has four hours to do anything he needs to do. If we also take into account the amounts of homework, any other activities, school projects, and chores, that time can be cut in half, and there is very little time for true leisure time. To some, this is alright; some can handle the stress easily than others. Most of the time, students will end up losing some of their sleep if they choose to study.

According to the Illinois Uni High study, 74% of its students end of losing sleep in order to study for the history quiz the next day. According to a Texan study of 249 students, over 50% of the students showed increased anxiety throughout the school day. Also, according to a study in James Madison Uni, the leading stressor is academic workload, which over 88% of the clients have agreed is stressful.  

One of the most influential assets are parents. If my parents stressed straight A’s, then most likely many others will stress the same thing. However, it depends on how much they stress it. If they’re flexible with their child’s grades, then it’s nothing to worry about. However, if physical threats and emotional abuse starts to kick in when their child’s grades starts to drop, it only adds to the stress tremendously. According to a 2013 Harvard study, out of ten thousand students, 80% of them agreed that their parents value personal achievement and perfect grades over being a good person. That’s sixteen thousand students’ parents! Colleges also influence student stress. When my parents said, “Go to a good college,” my first thought was: Harvard, MIT, Stanford; all the Ivy League Colleges that are difficult to enter. The thought that students wish to be the best of the best surely is motivating, but exhausting! When he or she pushes to an unknown limit, it harms the mentality and physical state of that being. They have not yet accepted that only a handful of students are admitted into these Ivy League Colleges, even though hundreds of thousands of applications are filed into Ivy Leagues. But Math is Math; just as much as Science is Science! There is little difference in these topics, and students will not get a different version of quantum mechanics if they attend Harvard or Boston University.

Most of the time, some stress is actually normal when confronting tasks. However, students go overboard with the stress when they also want to get straight A’s. There are plenty of students who take multiple sports, have jobs, and hobbies they want to do. All these activities add to the stress. But if they are willing to go for straight A’s and study for that one quiz when they come home at 9:00, it doesn't get any better. According to a study conducted in Uni High Illinois, when students are faced with huge academic stress, 63% of those who've taken the survey actually procrastinate, and 35% have panic attacks. When the survey asked for sleep hours, an average of 65% of the entire 856 students studied have said that they do not have enough sleep to take on the academic pressure given to them. When these students look back and reflect on what they did in their high school careers, most likely they will focus on the negative part of their life. Yes, he did manage to get a 2240 on the SAT, and straight A’s and no A-’s, but at what cost? Either that student really does just gets good grades anyways, or he probably worked his butt off to get those grades. Most of the time, that’s a good thing. But if this student sacrificed going to the movies with friends or going to science club and doing rocket science, it isn't worth it! According to a guest post by Jon Morrow, he said he’d rather spend 20-30 hours a week studying to get B’s than spend his usual 30-50 hours a week studying and getting those good grades. According to him, he neglected his friends and parties constantly to study in the library, which he describes as mentally painful.

    An excerpt from Twentysomething: Why I regret getting straight A’s in College:

    “If I could do it all over again, I would spend less time in the library and more time at parties. I would have 50 friends, not 3. I would be known for “the guy that knows everyone,” not “the smartest guy in class.” Not only because it would’ve been more fun, but because I would still be friends with most of those people now and would have access to the networks they’ve developed over the last four years.”

Jon Morrow, December 4th, 2007

   

    But what can people, especially students, do in order to lower their expectations? Everyone’s brain is wired to do the absolute best they can be, but sometimes it’s too much for them. The end result is to lower the student’s expectations of themselves by a moderate amount. Influences by grade inflation, colleges, parents, and especially students themselves,  isn't easy to change. The key solution is to not have students excessively compare each other in the ranks. Students may feel a need to compete with others for valedictorian or a spot in the Ivy Leagues. The idea of dominating school and being one of the top students is not new, but it’s still effective. The solution proposes that students should have some sort of reassurance in school, knowing that the B+ they got in English Class is alright. If it is 10:00 P.M. and the student is faced with going to sleep or studying, the student should focus on sleeping. The solution is not to take away the importance of good grades overall. Teachers should find ways to combat the current corruption of grade inflation, or the expectations of grades that has been rising. 

    Sources:

"Which Matters More: Good Grades or Good Kids?" Today. CBS News, 25 June 2014. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.

"Is Getting Straight A's in College Overrated?" StudentsOver30. N.p., Dec.-Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.

Hudson, Paul. "Getting An 'A' Is Overrated: Why Success In The Real World Is More Important Than In The Classroom." Elite Daily. Elite Daily, Dec.-Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.

Broogard, Berit. "Academic Stress and Its Relation to Anxiety in College Students | The Classroom | Synonym." The Classroom. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.

Powell, Kathryn. "Stressed and Obsessed Part 5: The Effects of Stress on Student Life | Online Gargoyle." Gargoyle RSS. The Online Gargoyle, 3 May 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.

Image Sources:

Simpson, Jack. "Category: Maximize Your Grades." StopStudentStress Maximize Your Grades Category. N.p., 10 July 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Britz, Jacqueline, and Eric Pappas. "Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences." Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences. James Madison University, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.