“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that it’s stupid.” — Albert Einstein.

That is the problem with education today. Stress has become one of the biggest common problems with teens. Cheating has become more common and suicide rates have grown. Thirty percent of the city’s high schoolers suffer the risk of suicide.

Talk to any student between the ages of 15 and 18 and you’ll hear that high school has gotten to the point of where a student can get so stressed she is in tears. Not only the pressure of having all the work done and getting good grades, but there’s additional social pressure.

One of the leading causes of this is not getting enough sleep. Students are up at all hours of the night to make sure their work is done and most do not get enough sleep, which affects brains and bodies. Teens need about 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night to function best (for some, 8 1/2 hours is enough).

And don’t forget that most students participate in at least one extra-curricular activity at a time. To be a star athlete and great student at the same time, a student will probably not get enough sleep.

Even with 7 or fewer hours of sleep, there’s not enough time for breakfast, then school, then come home to sports and endless hours of homework. Students also need the time for their own needs, such as showering and eating.

Allison MacKenzie,

Katrielle Lambert