Vol. 37 Issue 4
April 10, 2025
THE RISE OF
Underachievement
By Colin WIercinski Underachievement in schools has become a prevalent issue in recent years. For various reasons, more and more students are finding it difficult to achieve their full potential. Educators, parents and students themselves are becoming increasingly concerned about this problem. Academic pressure, lack of motivation, and rising levels of stress are only a few of the contributing factors that have led to this growing issue. One of the most significant
reasons for underachievement in schools is the overwhelming pressure students face. With heightened competition for college acceptance, students are often anxious and stressed over the need to perform exceptionally well and take extremely rigorous classes. This leads to burnout and a lack of putting in one’s best effort. Sophomore Nolan Howard says, “Instead of looking at school as an opportunity to learn, some students view school as a competitive and high-stakes environment
where mediocrity and failure simply aren’t an option.” Students typically tend to define success in grades and ranking among peers, rather than the bigger and frankly more important goal of learning and developing new skills. The decline in the mental well-being of students is another contributory factor to underachievement. Anxiety and stress are at an all-time high for students, diminishing focus on studying and learning at school. Continued on next page