Delaney Oursler

Oursler 1

Professor Downes
Transitions I
9 December 2015
The Pressure to Numerically Succeed
As the millennial generation enters into institutions of higher education, they not only
bring higher test scores and academic abilities, but also more pressure to numerically
succeed. This phenomena is leading to increased stress levels across universities in the
United States. Students contribute to this duress through the often unrealistic academic
goals they set for themselves. Other times, this stress is the result of pressure from teachers,
family, and peers who conform to societys stereotypical definition of success. In this
paper, I will present factual evidence about the origins and influence of academic pressure in
college students. I will also point out how this condition is present at my own school, Emory
& Henry College, and suggest ways of lessening its negative effects. Finally, I will argue for
the production of a theatrical project concerning this issue in order to further express and
raise awareness of its influence on our community.
The desire for successful children in a performance-based culture often consumes
us before we realize it (Rubin). Beginning in grade school, students are pushed by their
families, peers, and teachers to perform competitively on tests. Not only does this lead to
unnecessary stress in students, but it also compares individuals in a way that fails to
accurately portray each students intellectual strengths. An anonymous quote describes the
flawed system well: Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a
tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. Numerous psychological and
broad-base qualitative studies have measured the increased amount of stress students feel
in regards to having high grade point averages and standardized test scores. We are

Delaney Oursler

Oursler 2

Professor Downes
Transitions I
9 December 2015
seeing more cases in terms of higher stress levels and in terms of anxiety, depression, and
other diagnosed disorders than we have seen in the past. A study done by Stanford Medical
Center a few years ago confirmed this (Dr. Jun Ma, 2005, Journal of Adolescent Health)
(Rubin). This affliction only worsens as a student enters a college or university. With the
social pressure to succeed and obtain degrees that will enable students to get their dream
jobs, academic stress levels are higher in young adults now than our country has seen thus
far. In the survey, The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2010, involving more than
200,000 incoming full-time students at four-year colleges, the percentage of students rating
themselves as below average in emotional health rose. Meanwhile, the percentage of
students who said their emotional health was above average fell to 52 percent. It was 64
percent in 1985 (Lewin). These statistics go to show that the unfair pressure applied to
grade school and college students across the nation lead to unhealthy and, frankly,
unnecessary amounts of mental and emotional stress. It is my generations responsibility to
work to change the way intellectual ability is measured in schools and universities in the US
in order to more accurately represent student intelligence and lessen the unnecessary mental
burdens a majority of students experience.
Emory & Henry college is a small liberal arts school located in southwest Virginia. The
degrees offered at this institution are considerably varied compared to the small enrollment
and class sizes. With programs of study ranging from performing arts to equestrian studies
to civic innovation, our student population is fairly diverse. This being said, it is evident that
students across the board experience the pressure to numerically succeed on tests and

Delaney Oursler

Oursler 3

Professor Downes
Transitions I
9 December 2015
grade point average remains a very competitive measure. To generalize the mindsets of my
peers, I believe most college students feel the social and academic pressure to conform to
the American ideal of obtaining an undergraduate, and possibly graduate, degree and
pursuing their dream careers. However, this stereotypical path to success is not the only
way to achieve happiness and fulfillment in ones life. Success, much to the general publics
dismay, is not always measured financially or numerically. Having spoken to many of my
peers about this topic, Ive found that most every student experiences the same mental and
emotional duress that I do concerning the supposed direct relationship between academic
success and career/life fulfillment. Furthermore, our societys current conditions only mitigate
the mental stress college students experience. The economy has only added to the stress,
not just because of financial pressures on their parents but also because the students are
worried about their own college debt and job prospects when they graduate (Lewin). My
classmates have expressed concerns about their ability to find a steady income after
graduation and whether or not their college degrees will aid them in securing financial
support in the next stages of their lives. To sum it up, this epidemic is not only present on a
national scale in America, but is also evident in the everyday life of my peers and myself at
E&H.
Additionally, I believe awareness of this phenomena can be increased both locally
(here on campus) and on a national scale by portraying this academic pressure and its
emotional consequences in a theatrical setting. Dr. Mark Reed, a psychiatrist at Dartmouth,
phrases it well: I dont think students have an accurate sense of other peoples mental

Delaney Oursler

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Professor Downes
Transitions I
9 December 2015
health Theres a lot of pressure to put on a perfect face, and people often think theyre the
only ones having trouble (Lewin). During my research process, I came across a
documentary entitled Race to Nowhere that explores the pressure to academically
succeed applied to grade school students by our modern society and stereotypical
definitions of success. I believe that the theater program at E&H could work with a local
playwright to adapt the premise of this documentary to fit the experience of university
students. Though members of our community may deem the topic as insignificant and not
worthy of the efforts of our performing arts professors and students, I firmly believe that
theater is an excellent and effective venue for portraying issues present in our society and
raising awareness of their negative effects. Students attend theatrical productions to be
entertained, but plays also have the ability to alter an individuals perspective on
controversial issues and bring light to stigmatized subjects.
In conclusion, copious research presents statistical evidence that the societal
pressure to academically succeed leaves students with unnecessary mental and emotional
stress. Though success in school and college does have the potential to lead to financially
rewarding careers, it is by no means the only standard by which to define achievement and
fulfillment. I believe that portraying this issue through a theatrical production will not only
raise awareness of this epidemic for students on Emory & Henrys campus, but also work to
fight the stigma that numerical achievement does not equal personal success.

Delaney Oursler

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Professor Downes
Transitions I
9 December 2015
Works Cited
Fisher, Laura. "Unnecessary pressure to succeed and get dream job right out of college."
Columbia Daily Spectator
14 Apr. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
<http://columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2014/04/15/unnecessary-pressure-succeed-a
nd-get-dream-job-right-out-college>.
Gabriel, Trip. "Parents Embrace Documentary on Pressures of School."
The New York Times
8 Dec. 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/education/09nowhere.html?_r=0>.
Heilbrun, Alfred B.
Stress and the Risk of Psychobiological Disorder in College Women
. N.p.:
University Press of America, 1997. Print.
Lawrence, Paul D. U.S. Leads the World- In Mental Illness.
The People,
publisher unknown.
November 2005. Print
Lewin, Tamar. "Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen."
The New York Times
26
Jan. 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/education/27colleges.html?_r=1>.
Rubin, C M. "The Global Search for Education: On Success."
Education News
15 Nov. 2011.
Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/the-global-search-foreducation-on-success/>.