Round 1
Pro: More and more, students have been expected to take on more work, more learning and more responsibility. We’re expected to maintain good grades, a job, a social life and run all our errands and take care of ourselves. But this isn’t an easy task anymore. We’re expected to take on too much. While in the real world, there are a lot of things that demand our attention, the way that all these things are presented to us in college is different. We’re expected to handle things that are more extreme cases of what we’ll have to deal with on a daily basis outside of our studies. College also seems to be filled with a lot of nonsense busywork. Work that’s meant to just keep us doing something. We get assignment after assignment thrown at us. We’re told we have to take part in at least two or three extracurriculars. A lot of students have to work to pay for rent, tuition and the other general costs of living. It’s getting to the point where students are becoming overworked and having issues with their mental health. Schools are too demanding and continue to get more demanding. I don’t recall the last time I had a spare moment to truly relax while simultaneously not having something else I should be doing for school or work instead.
Con: The key function of school is to test and challenge us in ways that we can’t do on our own. It’s to put us through rigorous training and studying to prepare for whatever life after college throws at us. We are expected to take this time to transition into adults who can function as expected in society and the workforce. So as society and the workforces outside of college demand more for us, the more college must also demand of us. There’s the old saying which applies here: “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” College isn’t easy. It isn’t meant to be easy. It’s meant to challenge our way of thinking and make us better people with a broader perspective on the world. We’re here to learn how to solve problems in new ways and to learn how to work in an interdisciplinary environment. Student mental health is a legitimate concern, but I don’t think it’s the school’s responsibility to baby students. Students need to learn how to take care of themselves. If that means they sign up for fewer credits at a time to reduce stress, then that’s fine. But it isn’t on the school to make sure we eat our vegetables, go to class and do all the other things we need to do in order to operate as adults.
Round 2
Pro: A lot of people seem to disproportionately blame their teachers and classes for stuff that is in reality their fault. They hail the teacher as unfair or too harsh when the reality may be that the student didn’t study well enough, missed too much class or didn’t turn something in. They displace their shortcomings on school. It’s not up to the school to make sure you come to class, do your work and find everything easy. That’s all on students. Again, it’s something we have to learn. We each have unique needs and requirements to keep ourselves on track and moving forward. If we don’t do our part, we can’t blame everyone else. Of course there are exceptions. There are teachers that are notorious for expecting an unreasonable amount out of students. There’s classes that you can study your butt off for and still fail. Overall, if you don’t put in your part of the deal, it can’t be anyone else’s fault when the deal falls through. We spend our whole lives trying to find excuses for our failures. Failures aren’t bad. We can learn a lot from them, but only if we choose to acknowledge that they exist and that we can do better. The school cannot be held responsible for students’ failures to do their part.
Con: Schools don’t have to do everything for us, nor should they. Rather, they should intervene when there is an obvious dissonance between the expectations for students and what’s realistic for everyone to complete. A lot of students still need some guidance in their life. We cannot be expected to go from highschool to adult life with absolutely no assistance. Students need some guidance as we try to learn what works best for us and how to cope with what’s expected of us. If we’re meant to learn, we need some help. We’re all learning about some complex topics all while trying to learn how to be an adult. It’s a lot to try to take in at once. Right now, a lot of students are still being overworked with too much work. If the school backed off a little, students would have an easier transition into adulthood without sacrificing their mental health, social life or hobbies. School has gone from a great learning experience to an additional stressor for a lot of students. Many students, despite their best efforts, are struggling to cope with balancing everything that’s expected of them. It may not even be an issue that stems from the school. Perhaps it is an issue that stems from societal expectations, the job market or capitalism. Regardless of the cause, the effects are damaging to students.
