“Many Things Done Well,” But At What Cost?

By: Aarush Vakalapudi

Time—it’s our most precious resource, and I'm confident that everyone, both students and faculty at Tower Hill, agrees. As Hillers, we’re experts at time management. Between juggling advanced classes, two-hour-long sports practices, extracurricular activities, and our own personal hobbies, we’ve simply been conditioned to make the best out of our time, because it’s rare that we have time to spare. While time management is a great skill to have, and is surely necessary for our futures, I think it’s important to take a step back and realize that the constant requirement to juggle all of these activities is hard. We’re expected to do a lot, and it is OK if you feel burnt out, tired, or aren’t willing to burden yourself with extra commitments.

A recent statistic from the Harvard Graduate School of Education says that 81% of teens feel negative pressure academically and socially, and 48% of teens feel that social media made the pressure worse. While these statistics aren’t shocking, it is important to point out that the stress we feel is more often than not a reflection of what we see online. Furthermore, it is compounded based on what our friends are doing and the pressure that our parents place on us. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has given a name to this compounding effect, cumulative stress: one’s experience of chronic stressors across multiple domains, which, over time, severely impacts physical and mental health. Definitely check the study out (it’s very interesting), but the important conclusion the NIH comes to is that the longer you experience cumulative stress, the worse your stress-related symptoms get. As a school and a community, we really need to start questioning whether or not it’s worth it. Is perfecting your homework assignment worth losing the extra 45 minutes of sleep? Is participating in another club really worth sacrificing time with friends and family? What are the long-term impacts of our choices?

The Tasting Table

In thinking about long-term choices, a concerning issue that is becoming more and more apparent is the Upper School’s energy drink consumption. It isn’t the people who drink one or two a week, it’s the people who roll into school with an Alani, Monster, or Celsius every single day. As a fan of Celsius, it sucks when I catch myself wondering when caffeine went from being a tool to a crutch. Another NIH study examines the consumption of energy drinks in high school, stating that, “about 1500 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years visited emergency departments in 2025 with energy drink–related adverse reactions.” Teenagers are developing heart arrhythmias before their lives even take off, and we, as a society and community, joke it off like no big deal. Energy drinks have become a larger symptom of the exhaustion we feel as students, and the feeling that we need a shortcut to get through the day. When staying awake in class requires 200 milligrams of caffeine, it’s a warning sign that the student body is overloaded. The scary part is how normalized it’s become. We joke about it and brand it in cute flavors, but we need to make a conscious effort as a society to take a step back and reevaluate our priorities.

Finally, for everyone thinking that the mental health struggles will disappear once you get that final grade back, win that final sports game, or get into college, you’re wrong. Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement reveals that 45% of college students spend over 15 hours weekly preparing for class. These students also ranked very high on the “persistence” indicator for the survey, indicating that they spent additional time beyond the 15 hours to achieve better academic outcomes. The Harvard Graduate School of Education also elaborated on worsening mental health in college, stating that, “over 80% of college seniors admit to experiencing burnout during their undergraduate years, reflecting relentless schedules that leave little downtime.” It’s clear that the feeling of getting into college is amazing, but it’s not a final destination. Once you get there, you will be chasing the next job, internship, or opportunity, and if you don’t find a work-life balance now, none of your stress will go away in the future. As the cumulative stress builds up, it will get harder to function in your day-to-day life, so start building good habits now.

As you look for ways to manage stress at Tower Hill, remember that you aren’t alone in feeling overwhelmed, and you aren’t expected to handle it by yourself either. Whether it’s stepping into a prayer/meditation space, stopping by the Wellness office, or talking to a teacher, it is the small moments of honesty with yourself that make the largest difference in addressing your struggles.

Taking care of your mental health doesn’t mean giving up on success either; it means redefining what success looks like. Choose sleep when you need it, set boundaries with yourself when you’re stretched thin, and remember that your worth isn’t measured by how busy or burned out you are.

We at Tower Hill are capable students, but we’re also only human—and if we want to continue building our community that lasts beyond grades and college acceptances, we have to start valuing balance as much as achievement. We have to begin building happiness and joy into the small moments, amidst the chaos.

Start small. Take a breath. Check in with yourself and the people around you. The strongest communities aren’t at their best when they push themselves the hardest. They’re at their best when they’re looking out for themselves, their friends, and putting themselves above all else.