Pressure of perfection weighs on students

No one ever says it out loud, but still, everyone feels it—the pressure to be perfect. In high school, expectations seem to come from every direction. Whether it’s about getting good grades, doing well in sports or keeping up appearances on social media, many students feel like they are always being watched and evaluated. Even when no one says anything directly, the pressure is still there.

For a lot of students, that pressure to be perfect doesn’t only come from their family or peers; it comes from within themselves. Several students said that their biggest reason for stress is the expectations they put on themselves, pushing them to constantly do more and be better. Sophomore Anika Bhardwaj described it as a feeling like “if I get everything perfect, it’s average. If I get anything less than perfect … I’ve failed.”

Others explained that this mindset and the constant pressure they put on themselves can be exhausting over time. Junior Maggie VerDught described it as “a strangling feeling of wanting to do everything well, yet also feeling overwhelmed and unable to do everything adequately to your own standards.” In the same way, Elsie Strohm, a junior, said that the pressure comes from “high expectations to get good grades and high expectations to be at every class, practice, rehearsal, etc. on time and with a smile on my face.”

Even during times that should feel like a break, the pressure doesn’t go away. Many seniors described it as “a constant yearning that is never satisfied,” even in times that are for resting and taking a break from all the craziness.

While some students said they feel supported and like they can talk about their struggles, many other students admitted that it’s hard to show when they are struggling. Sophomore Sam Mullins said, “I don’t like showing that I’m struggling with something that’s supposed to be easy for me.” Other students agreed that explaining and opening up can feel like they are seen as weak, especially in an environment where it seems like everyone else has everything together.

Even then, not every student feels this pressure in the same type of way. Some said that they feel little or no pressure at all, while others believe that stress is sometimes exaggerated. Junior Talen Lavallee, for example, said that he doesn’t feel a lot of pressure to be perfect and that others “don’t care” as much as people think. However, even with these different perspectives, most students agreed that expectations, whether from school, family, or themselves, play a huge role in how students at Cedar Falls High School live their lives.

Many students also feel that their experience with pressure is misunderstood. There seems to be a common belief that high school is supposed to be a fun and relatively easy time in life, but high school students say that isn’t typically the case. Strohm also explained that people overlook “how much effort has to be put into the bare minimum.” Going along with that, Mullins said that adults “don’t understand that all the work and deadlines get to us a lot more than they think.”

Even with all of these different perspectives, one thing is clear. The pressure to be perfect is real for many students, even if it looks different to everyone. Behind the good grades, packed schedules, perfect games, and daily routines, there are always struggles that are unseen. And while, yes, perfection may seem like the goal, most students are still learning that it’s not always realistic—or necessary.