When trying to get into a good college, some students feel stressed out.

This overwhelming pressure is one of the main things that contribute to the academic competition in school.

“I think students [are] people [who are] competitive. You know comparing yourself whether it be athletically or academically,” Assistant Principal Brent Benningfield said.

When students look at their GPA and rank, they may feel insecure, which can lead to poor-self esteem.

“…It can lead them to feel inadequate when they set themselves next to their peers. Often times those are the students that look [at] their own individual inadequacies instead of the positive strengths and potential they have as an individual,” Testing Coordinator Lannis Nelson said.

“They start to feel negative about themselves because of a lack of performance or they put too much on themselves and they don’t have the coping skills or the way to gain perspective,” Mr. Benningfield said.

On the other hand, some students view the competition in an optimistic way.

“When everyone around you, is working hard, it gives you more of an incentive to work harder, and so I feel like it just promotes a positive cycle of learning where everyone is striving to learn the most they can,” senior Nancy Chen said.

“For the student that thrives on that competition…The positivity is that competition that drives them,” Mrs. Nelson said.

Some students believe this involves peers while others view it within themselves.

“At the end of the day you’re competing against yourself and how well you can do rather than against others,” senior Vikas Amara said.