(Some participants mentioned in this article have asked for their identities to stay anonymous. They were given an fake names.)

Earth constantly throws an unpredictable whirlwind of sequences and events, shaping the culture of today. But, one thing seems to stay constant: Teenagers. More specifically, their disdain for school. This originally well intended idea spiraled into something catastrophic, and an individual’s academic performance now depends on the economic standing of said person, reinstating historical racial divides and monstrous wealth gaps. Students across the globe also face the repercussions of extremely high expectations, stress and anxiety at an all time high.

“Currently I’m doing well in my classes, but I also feel overly stressed with the workload,” said Taft High School student Calvin Missen ‘27. “Although it’s not an enormous amount, having work build up from all 7 classes while maintaining extracurriculars has made me feel burned out multiple times throughout the year.”

Schools take on the role of preparing teenagers and young adults for entry into the “real world.” Ironically, many students buckle under the looming pressure of adulthood.

“I am stressed because on one side, I can not wait to finish studying, so I can start my career and start to figure everything out,” said a Netherlands college student. “On the other side, the path that is advised to be taken by everybody to succeed is ending and I have absolutely no idea where to go from there.”

The unknownness of life post grad intimidates many people. This Australian high school senior worries about their future.

“I don’t know what I want to do after finishing school, and I honestly only have a superficial idea of what life is going to be like.” they said. “However, I’m excited to just take a break from school/education.”

The COVID 19 pandemic also set back years of education reform. Quarantine kept students at home, reshaping their social habits.

“I think it affected my social skills a little more than academic because I was so used to being at home and not talking to as many people as I did before,” said London Waters ‘27.

Academic decline also comes into play, particularly for this Polish college student.

“Social, nah. Academically, yeah. I used to do super well in math, then my skills became mid after covid again,” they said. 

Teachers are the ones responsible for preparing students for life after school, but some, like this English/Physical Education Australian teacher going by “Mr. M,” are worried for the future generation.

“In Australia I’ve been really surprised at how poor literacy skills are for large portions of students. I question whether the current generation growing up with smartphones, iPads, and short form content have fried their brains and ruined their concentration levels too,” said Mr. M. “It can be tough some days but despite these things, I find most of my students good natured and fun to interact with, even if it takes a little time to get through to them.”

The physical conditions aren’t up to par either.

“Funding is pretty poor over here in the state school system.” said Mr. M. “Unfortunately, systems in place benefit the private schools and leave others with dilapidated buildings, asbestos ridden classrooms, and staff rooms that need to fit too many teachers.”

Despite the current state and the unknown future of the education system, many students continue to perform at their best level and defy odds.

“My performance in school is good, I have all A’s and the lowest I would get is a B.” said an American high school student. “My school is providing all the resources and more, it’s all about diligence.”

And at the end of the day, educators are at the root of the source, impacting students’ experiences in a positive way.

“My elective teacher is really easygoing, understanding, and just knows what students have to go through,” said a Canadian high school senior. “She’s very empathetic and is generous with how much work she gives, and what she expects from us.”