Every afternoon, tenth grader Samuel Mendivelso sits down with his family to talk through his day. Juggling a full class schedule, extracurriculars like COSMUN, and pressure from home, he’s learned that managing stress starts with communication. “I usually cope with stress by talking to my family and friends,” Samuel Mendivelso, grade 10, said. “Most of the time, they help me organize my schedule and give me perspective, which makes me feel less overwhelmed and a lot more motivated to work through everything,” Mendivelso added.
The academic demands of high school have always been high, but something has changed: students are now expected to excel at everything, all at once—and in silence. Between the race to college, stacked extracurriculars, and the pressure to maintain perfect grades, many teens are left feeling like they’re barely holding it together. Interviews with five students—four seniors and one sophomore—reveal what school stress really looks like, how it’s impacting their well-being, and what kind of support they believe could actually help.
For many students, the biggest sources of stress are tied to expectations—especially the pressure to get into top universities. Senior Juan José Pérez explained that much of his anxiety revolves around exams and the future. “The biggest sources of stress are definitely exams, especially the national ones like the ICFES, and the pressure to get into a good university where all this effort will feel worth it,” Senior Juan Jose Perez said.
Pérez also shared how the day-to-day balancing act between school and life often becomes too much. “Balancing schoolwork with extracurriculars and social life can be overwhelming. You want to succeed in all of them, but time just runs out, and something always has to give,” Pérez recalled.
Mateo Villegas, another senior, said that in a high-performing environment like theirs, students are often pressured to appear as if they’re doing fine—even when they’re not. “I think that at our school, students often feel pressured to act like they’re doing well, even when they’re struggling inside. It’s this unspoken rule where everyone wants to look like they’ve got it under control, even if they’re drowning in responsibilities,” senior Mateo Villegas said.
Senior Pedro González added that academic workload alone can easily tip the scales. “One of the biggest stressors is the homework load in certain classes. It’s not just about what you do in school—homework takes hours after school, and that makes it hard to keep up with everything else,” González said.
When stress levels get too high, students have to find ways to cope—some take breaks, others push through, and many feel guilty no matter what. Senior Fernando Altmann recalled how difficult it was to balance everything during the height of senior year responsibilities. “The hardest part was when I had to juggle college applications, study for exams, do social hours, and finish my IB project all at the same time. The stress didn’t stay in school—it followed me home every night and made it hard to enjoy anything,” Senior Fernando Altmann said.
Still, Altmann found that organizing his week made a huge difference. “What helped was getting most of my work done early in the week—like Monday through Wednesday. That gave me more freedom later in the week and helped me stop procrastinating so much,” Altmann noted.
Sports and social time were key coping tools for Pérez. “Basketball helps me unwind when I’m under pressure,” he said. “But I also try to save time for family and friends—those little moments help recharge me mentally and remind me I’m more than just a student,” Pérez added.
For Mendivelso, support from his inner circle has been a lifeline. “My stress often comes from feeling like I don’t have enough time to handle everything—school, COSMUN, and other things I care about. But having people I trust help me sort things out makes all the difference,” Mendivelso noted.
Still, Villegas pointed out that talking about mental health openly remains hard for many teens. “I think a lot of us have hesitated to talk about mental health because we’re afraid of being judged or seen as weak,” he said. “But honestly, sharing our feelings is probably the most important thing we can do to get help,” Villegas added.
Every student interviewed agreed: while schools do talk about mental health, actions rarely follow. Students want support that’s more personal—and proactive.
Mendivelso believes that consistent teacher check-ins could go a long way. “Teachers could support students better just by being more present. If they regularly asked how we’re doing—not just academically but personally—it would make school feel more human and less like a machine,” Mendivelso noted.
Altmann echoed that sentiment, saying students are often left to figure things out on their own. “We’re mostly just told what to do and when to do it. There’s no real guidance on managing stress or workload—just expectations to meet deadlines and perform,” Altmann noted.
Pedro González added that there’s still a lack of urgency around student well-being. “Mental health isn’t always taken as seriously as it should be. There are still so many misconceptions in school about what it means to struggle mentally, and not enough real conversations,” Senior Pedro Gonzalez said.
Pérez noted that while mental health is occasionally discussed in class, the culture is still focused on productivity over wellness. “There’s definitely more pressure to keep pushing. Mental health gets mentioned in talks, but there’s no follow-through—like adjusting the workload or giving us actual space to breathe,” Pérez said.
For Villegas, changing the culture of competition would also help. “Competition among students can really damage mental health, especially when you start comparing yourself constantly. It creates pressure to be perfect, when we should be focused on growing and learning at our own pace,” Villegas noted.
“If teachers, counselors, or other school staff could take the initiative to check in with students—even just once in a while—it would help create a supportive environment where students feel seen and heard,” Mendivelso said.