KRISTEN ENGLERT
Staff Writer
According to Money Magazine’s Top 50 jobs, a software engineer, a college professor and a financial advisor rank in the top three. These three professions are three that many teenagers everywhere may aspire to become one day.
These days teenager’s aspirations are at an all-time high, but teens are not willing to put in the work and responsibility that goes along with these titles.
In a recent Florida State University study released August 29, tests show that today American teenagers are quick to set themselves up for high goals and standards but are unwilling to work to achieve them. The stress of their goals may be discouraging students from daily tasks.
Students here at Pepperdine are also dealing with their own amount of stress.
Michael Gerrity, a sophomore at Pepperdine and the men’s basketball team starting point guard discussed the stress that comes along with playing a sport and keeping up with school.
“Waking up at 6:30 in the morning for weight-lifting, going to class and having practice during the day makes school a little more stressful.
“I would never use basketball as an excuse, but it does make things a little more difficult,” Gerrity said.
Pepperdine is also known for high involvement in Greek Life. About 25 percent of the study body is involved in Greek Life. With the pressure of classes and participating in student life activities the stress level of teenagers looks as if it will never fall.
Medical and law school are becoming even more of an interest for students these days and with that the credentials keep getting steeper.
For example, Pepperdine University’s law school admissions statement says it seeks to accept a “first-year class that is extraordinary in its academic excellence, diversity, and talent. Information that reflects outstanding academic and professional promise, such as employment experience, extracurricular activities, community involvement, commitment to high standards of ethics and morality, reasons for wanting to study law, initiative, competence in writing and speaking, and maturity.”
Medical and law schools have expanded their expectations far beyond buoyant GPA. Now the need for extra-curricular activities, an impressive amount of community service and proof of being a well-rounded person accompany the pressure of good grades.
According to CNN.com, representatives of the College Board, the owners of the SAT exam, are starting to worry about the high amount of stress that the SAT’s are placing on young teens. With the new version of the SAT being out only a year now College Board is noticing that the score drop has never been this large. The test on average takes about an hour longer and fewer students are retaking the exam.
Thomas Watts a freshman at Pepperdine, talked about the high stress level teens face.
“It was a totally different thing. A lot of stress is placed on doing well on the SAT’s, but it’s something that must be done and going in with as calm of an attitude is all you can do,” Watts said. “Hope for the best.”
Watts isn’t the only student who felt this way about the new SAT’s. The stress that Thomas and many other freshmen across the country may be the reason that the SAT scores have dropped so drastically in the past year.
09-07-2006