Written by Prithi Balaji
Edited by Mehreen Ali
Some walk a lone path, others traverse a brightly-lit sidewalk embraced by trees, and still others, a foreboding alleyway into neon-flickering lights, enveloped in a miasma of darkness and disgust. The journey of everybody’s life is different, yet many of our paths seem to align with a prestigious university degree. But high school isn’t just a road; it’s a series of stepping stones, and for some, the distance between the stepping stones seems to only get wider with extracurriculars, volunteering, and start-ups. On these paths, the purpose of school — to learn, and to grow in your classes — diminishes in light of these overwhelming tasks. It’s not difficult, then, to break down with the pressure of school. Overcommitment, perfectionism: all of these arise partly from some overachieving student feeling like their best is somebody else’s worst.
Firstly, we need to consider the nature of modern education, which promotes a culture of commitment. In today’s academic landscape, the pressure to build a robust college application exacerbates overcommitment. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), 44.3 percent of college admissions officers claimed extracurricular activities as necessary, especially in selective colleges. Students are frequently advised to showcase a well-rounded college yet specific profile, leading to a race in participation for numerous clubs and organizations.
Before delving into the opinion, I would like to state I do support the career education and life skills that extracurricular activities provide. This is, in no way, a demonization of extracurriculars for college. Extracurricular experiences foster massive development and nurture soft skills that immensely benefit the real world. According to Carol Mugasi, “Extracurricular pursuits offer a plethora of opportunities for children to cultivate essential social skills that are indispensable for success in the real world” (Mugasi 1). Extracurricular activities are not only beneficial to the thriving of young adults but also serve as a tool for acquiring skills that couldn’t be achieved in the academic world.
However, despite the great benefits to be reaped in extracurriculars, the pressure to participate cultivates an unsustainable workload—with already unclear criteria on well-rounded commitments versus major-specific extracurriculars. As a UGA study states, in the long run, youth who spend an excessive amount of time on enrichment activities end up foregoing their physical and mental health. This culture of commitment pressures students into believing quantity triumphs over quality, which both destroys their health and inhibits them from their principal goal–to be accepted into a prestigious college. To this end, when one stretches themselves too thin, it cannot be surprising when one breaks.
A significant concern is student inability to manage their extracurriculars on top of their studies, which creates major health issues. Many students tend to struggle with time management in general, and this issue is only amplified as the workload gets larger, causing immense pressure on physical health. According to Mary Joy Cruz, a graduate of Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, “Using a descriptive research method, 51 students … were surveyed … the study found that overloaded school events negatively affect students' physical health by causing exhaustion, disrupted sleep patterns, and increased stress." The cumulative effects of these responsibilities lead to detrimental outcomes in student health. In addition, Collegevine states overcommitment results in “forego[ing] sleeping, eating, and other basic activities that maintain your health” (Mathur 12). The limitation of basic activities—of sleep, which high schoolers neglect already, of sustenance—only creates an unsustainable lifestyle that is inevitably life-threatening.
Not only is the looming danger of physical deterioration an effect of overcommitment, but a profound—and perhaps harder-hitting–effect is the linkage of self-worth to personal achievement. Students, in this unhealthy competitive environment, are prone to the impression that their accomplishments are directly tied to their purpose as human beings, leading to a toxic cycle of perfectionism. According to Micheal Patrick Rutter, senior advisor for communications in the MIT office of the Vice Chancellor and student initiatives, “[A]nxiety, depression, stress and fatigue are symptoms of overcommitment, and many students try to cope and to release stress in the same ways as older adults, through alcohol or drugs and mindless distractions” (Rutter 4). These symptoms of anxiety and poor mental health come with burnout and depressive symptoms from overwhelming feelings, perfectionism, and over-commitment. The substantial pressure on students only serves to elevate depressive symptoms, social withdrawal, and ultimately, culminates in long-lasting depression that irreversibly debilitates them. On the other hand, students feel an unwavering negativity to do better, which only perpetuates a gross cycle of depleting self-confidence till it hits rock bottom.
Mental health concerns come from the pressure of our academic environments. When individuals perceive their best as inadequate compared to others, it breeds a culture of constant comparisons that only serve to worsen stress and anxiety. The relentless pursuit of perfection, as Wang addresses, heightens “social comparison [which] has negative impacts on the perception of individual learning effects, such as reducing learners’ academic self-efficacy and learning efficiency,”. Rather than genuinely engaging with content, students focus more on competing for grades and recognition becomes a service; a job to be fulfilled, stifling curiosity and diminishing the joy of teenage years.
To combat these issues, students must first understand the misconception of college admissions’ emphasis on extracurricular activities. Mathur from Collegevine reiterates colleges would like to see you make a substantial impact on a few activities; to focus on quality versus quantity. Typically, colleges like to see a depth of involvement in a certain area of interest, rather than indulging in numerous areas generally unrelated to your anticipated major. The College Board expresses four major criteria that encourage focusing on a limited amount of interests, documenting long-term involvement with organizations, engaging in activities related to career goals, and showing leadership skills in these areas. Admissions committees do not look at extracurriculars through the lens of achievement only, they look at it to evaluate a student’s characteristics and how they align with the school’s values (Amesite 2024). Extracurriculars shouldn’t be seen as a means to an end; they should be recognized as a tool to enhance student interest and involvement in their preferred major. So, it’s okay if you aren’t a part of many clubs, or still haven’t gotten an opportunity to be a part of a lot — the important part here is how much you participate in those clubs, and what you have done there.
Though the looming nature of college applications is imminent, society needs to reevaluate its judgment of high schoolers based on their extracurricular and academic achievement. All roads are not the same. Some appear as stones, others as brightly-lit yet jagged sidewalks, and others, as cracked paths. All these roadblocks are only amplified by the increasing overcommitment to clubs and extracurriculars, which culminates in a toxic cycle of mental and physical health issues. By recognizing the adverse effects of overcommitment on the body, students, parents, and teachers can create supportive frameworks that reiterate the importance of extracurriculars not for the benefit of college, but for the personal development of the student. Ultimately, however, it is up to the student to recognize their overcommitment is destabilizing. They must decide for themselves to change and to navigate their path through high school, not to expedite the process, but to enrich themselves instead.
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