Photo by Elisa Matos

By a Stressed Student

For our entire time here at PHS we have been told that all the work we are doing is so that we will be able to perform in college and beyond. It is a fact that as the years go by, the workload will never just ease up. Every year seems to get harder.

Our teacher also do a great job, reminding us that even though the work seems hard now it will only get harder in the future and that this will help prepare us for it. But, when is it just too much?

Every student can recite the mission, vision and focus, because we have been hearing it for years now. Every student knows that he or she can and should graduate with a minimum of 15 college credits. One thing that this new policy has not taken into account is the added stress that AP classes carry.

I have bought into the fact that we will be the best urban school district in New Jersey, and I want to do my part. I have many AP classes. However, the workload, the reading, the memorization, and most importantly the time you have to put in, is substantial.

Some students just do not have the time because they are involved in other activities. The push is on to take as many AP courses as possible and I for one appreciate the opportunity, but I feel like these classes have taken over my life. There is no time for anything else. Anything extra-curricular has suffered, and to try to do it all makes my classwork suffer.

Lastly, I have friends who are expected to pitch in at home, some even work to help support the family, and they cannot balance the schoolwork and the home life. It is difficult.

While I know that we will be the best district, based on the hard work of the students and teachers, this job is not free. There will be costs. Work for the sake of work is not enough.

We need to all realize that we all have lives outside of school. We have other classes; we have other interests; and we have other lives as well!