Facing the future While living in the present
Motivated students learn to keep goals in sight all while enjoying the now
“Ithink school can be very overwhelming to the point where you can lose sight of everything,” said Santa Fe High School senior Jonathan Najman. “You lose sight of what you love and who you love and just … everything. It all becomes get into college.”
Although Najman may sound distressed, he is not talking about himself. He is one of those students who enjoys going to school, is excited about moving on to college and likes learning. Najman is intrinsically motivated, which means he will do something because he genuinely enjoys it. In contrast, people who are extrinsically motivated will typically do something for external rewards or to avoid negative consequences.
Either way, it helps to find that motivation to do well in high school, with an eye toward performing equally well in college and then, later on, in a career. And in New Mexico, a state that often has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country, that drive can make all the difference when it comes to achieving success in real life.
About 10 years ago, the public-policy group Civic Enterprises interviewed high school dropouts from 25 cities in the United States and found that a lack of motivation was the most frequently cited reason for dropping out. The former students explained how certain components could have encouraged them to stay in school, such as teachers who expected more of them, schools that were understanding about their struggles and more engaging classes. However, most did not drop out because they were failing. In fact, 7 out of 10 believed they would have graduated if they had tried harder.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, many high school students can exhaust themselves by overworking, overscheduling and overtesting. The documentary Race to Nowhere elaborates on the frustration that teens experience due to their desire to satisfy parents and compete for college admissions. The film challenges parents, educators and students to recognize how today’s youth are being asked to produce, perform and memorize — without getting much opportunity to process what they are learning.
Sam, a high-achieving student from California interviewed in the film, said high school is all about learning to pass tests. “You try to stuff in as much info into your brain as possible. … Then as soon as you’re done with it, out it goes.” Another student featured in the film was ecstatic after her Advanced Placement French exam was over because she, “Never had to speak French again.”
With this mindset, students will likely arrive at college or university unprepared and uninspired.
But with school starting again this month, how do teens stay motivated when so many barriers seem to pop up? Many issues impact a teen’s academic motivation — or lack of. Studies show that teens need roughly nine hours of sleep if they want to avoid problems with concentration, memory and decision-making. Teens inundated with over four hours of homework per night can lose critical hours of sleep. And with sleep deprivation and anxiety comes the urge for many teens to fall into unhealthy habits, which may include cheating and plagiarizing.
Rigid course scheduling can play a role in stressing teens out, too. Najman recognizes the exhaustive routine that many of his peers experience, but because of his manifold jobs and variable schedule, for him it’s a new and different experience to enjoy each day. He recommends that students who wake up dreading going to school change their schedules as a start.
There are other options to keep the school year fresh. Madeline Levine, author and practicing clinical psychologist in California, said, “Play is a critical part of the growing mind and growing body.”
Amia Cressman, a Santa Fe Waldorf School senior, agrees. She finds relaxation in reading, drawing, riding horses and going on walks. But she doesn’t slack off either, she said, because she wants to earn a college scholarship. “I feel like the harder I work now, the fewer missed opportunities I’ll have later,” she said.
The consequences of excessive pressure to succeed academically includes sleep deprivation, eating disorders, depression, excessive worrying, cheating, burnout and, most severely, suicide attempts, according to studies conducted by Anxiety.org. Najman has observed some of the most intrinsically motivated, brightest students at his school suffer from emotional breakdowns and miss long bouts of school because of the extreme pressure they voluntarily placed on themselves. Najman is careful about not overworking himself and respects his own limits. “I do as much as I want to do, and if I don’t want to do more, I’m not going to do it, and that’s OK,” he said.
Parents can help or hurt the situation. For many parents, their child’s anxiety about getting into a first-choice university is a prominent concern. Others experience the stress just as acutely as their kids. One student in Race to Nowhere said his mom acts like a prison guard, inquiring nightly, “What are you doing?” “Did you finish your work?” “Did you spend 30 minutes on SAT prep?” He admits that in the face of so much pressure and hovering, he lies to avoid potential confrontations. For many parents, good intentions can quickly lead to overinvolved.
So what does it take to produce a selfreliant, compassionate, resilient, motivated student? Parents should maintain an open dialogue with their child, respect their boundaries, set reasonable expectations and appreciate their child’s strengths.
Teens should learn how to balance their passions with schoolwork so they don’t lose sight of what they love to do. It is important for teens be honest with parents and adult mentors (including teachers), manage their time well and take advantage of the opportunities an education provides.
“Teenagers are good at hiding their feeling from adults,” says Carlos Caldwell, an AP European and New Mexico history teacher at Santa Fe High. “It is difficult. One of the best things that I learned in college was that the goal of school was not to know all the answers. The goal is to learn, participate and make progress.”
Bob Alei, a math teacher at Desert Academy, advises students to not become overfocused on high school as a stepping stone for college. “Live high school now for high school — what you’re learning,” he said. “Let go of grades. … Be in your life right now. Play soccer, drop that third hard course that you are taking. … Take advantage of this opportunity to learn something now.
“Use your high school years as if they are real, not as if they’re preparation for some future. … Balance the present.”