Every Coppell High School classroom is filled with the same chatter; test scores, class averages, GPA and the ever-looming question: ‘What score did you get?’
Obsession over numbers might seem normal for students but over time it has created a culture of prioritizing grades over growth where it becomes out-scoring the person next to you.
At a cut throat school such as CHS, academic competition is not just encouraged; it is expected. Class rank, standardized testing and the pressure to perform well push students towards a single definition of success: perfection.
Rank contributes to academic anxiety as well. The University of Texas at Austin dropped its automatic admission threshold to 5% last year. To complicate this further, 75% of available Texas resident spaces must go to automatically admitted applicants, which heightens rivalry between students in Texas high schools such as CHS.
Final senior rankings come out in January, and college application season brings more stress related to school performance, especially against peers.
Learning should not be about memorizing answers just to bubble onto a scantron, and collaboration should not take a backseat to comparison.
Academic burnout is not the sole issue. Emotional burnout leaves students exhausted. A toxic culture of academic competition does not motivate students to love learning, it makes them afraid of falling behind.
Mental health becomes the cost of maintaining a flawless academic record. Students skip meals, lose sleep and live in a constant state of comparison. Others stop taking classes they might enjoy because they are afraid of the effects on their GPA and rank.
Every student has a different set of circumstances. Ten percent of the CHS student body is considered economically disadvantaged. A focus on numbers does not account for disparities that different communities of students face.
High school is the foundation for our futures, but what kind of future are we building if we value numbers over growth and community? Is that really what success looks like?
A healthy amount of competition is normal and a motivating factor for many students. But when it turns into a situation where only the top few feel like they are winning, it creates a toxic environment.
This is not to say that striving to get good grades or getting ranked is a bad focus. However, there is a difference between healthy ambition and the relentless pressure that students experience.
It can be difficult to break the cycle, especially when the norm of pressure-induced perfection surrounds students daily. But it is worth it; because school should not be a rat race. It should be a place where success is personal, not comparative.
Instead of measuring your worth with numbers, think about the intangible concepts you learn that develop character. In a place where we strive to be the best, it is important to remember that learning should incite growth, not unhealthy competition.
Be the one to break the curve and build something better.
