Written by: Manushri 

Edited by: Li

To work or not to work? That is the eternal question.

With Semester 2 taking off, students are confronted by the harsh reality of school life: setting alarms for 5:50 in the morning, submitting assignments, pouring over textbooks, and recovering from vacation mode. In fact, for many, vacation itself does not provide an adequate escape from schoolwork, as students find themselves using the extra time to finish up assignments or study for post-break tests. This calls to attention the delicate student work-life balance, or, for many, the absence of it. For instance, why is it that when posed with two options during a vacation: an evening spent studying or a night out with one’s friends and family, many feel compelled to resign themselves to the latter? Is this the unsaid responsibility that accompanies being a High School student? Most importantly, how can we rectify this as a school community? 

When asked about her December vacation, Asma, a junior explains: “I felt pressure to work all the time because I was scared I’d fall behind on my work when school would resume. I also had a lot of pressure from my parents to study so I didn’t really feel like I had a break.” Although Asma’s experience appears to be but one among hundreds of High Schoolers, it is certainly not one that should be normalized. Vacations are key in reducing cortisol: a primary stress hormone. But, if one is constantly plagued by the pressure to be productive, they are bound to experience an increase in stress, which can be detrimental to one’s health, as it weakens the immune system thus making students more susceptible to illnesses (“Student Stress 101: Understanding Academic Stress | JED”). 

Students like Yeonwoo echo Asma’s sentiment. While reflecting on her work-life balance during vacations, Yeonwoo, also a junior, states: “In the back of my head, I had the feeling that I needed to grind because all of my peers were studying over the break. But I was so physically and mentally burnt out and tired; I just wanted to sleep all day. I think that was good for my mental health but it was bad for my school life because it increased my fear of slacking.” Yeonwoo brings up a crucial point: sleep schedules. Teenagers are notorious for being prone to sleep deprivation due to their highly unpredictable sleep patterns paired with an early start to the school day. In fact, approximately 70% of High Schoolers experience sleep deprivation during school weeks, making vacations a vital source of rest and recuperation (“Teens and Sleep”). Hence, when students notice their peers being productive and giving into the pressure to study during the break, it places their well-being at a significant risk as they feel they should do the same. This can result in many neglecting their need for rest. Thus, it is crucial that the school community reflect upon how ISM can define and promote a healthy work-life balance to support students more effectively. 

Cilia, a senior, firmly believes that, “One way to encourage a student work-life balance is to ensure that, during the final few days before the break, teachers do not set a large number of deadlines due right after the vacation. Teachers should also remind students that it’s okay to not work over break so they don’t feel a lot of pressure.” Cilia’s perspective adds an interesting dimension: whether or not it should be the responsibility of teachers to help their students develop a work-life balance. This could manifest in different ways, the first being the scheduling of assignments, and the second: helping students identify when they need rest–to learn what a healthy work-life balance looks like. In regards to the former, Mr. Devie, a French teacher, agrees with Cilia and believes “there isn’t a simple solution to scheduling particularly because we are an IB school and we have a lot of assessments that need to take place.” Hence, it is evident that in order to promote more efficient assignment scheduling, a system needs to be created for students, teachers, and faculty members to provide feedback on scheduling concerns that arise throughout the semester. This can be integrated as an additional section in existing feedback forms such as the school climate survey conducted by InspirED during advisory sessions. 

Yeonwoo focuses primarily on the second factor required to promote a healthy student work-life balance (helping students develop strategies to identify when they are nearing burnout). Yeonwoo states: “I think during the school year we could have tips on time management to ensure mental health wellbeing because I don’t really see that happening. Also, before the break, we could have a short session during the assembly explaining what a healthy work-life balance looks like.” This is mirrored in Mr. Devie’s advice to students struggling with burnout when he explains: “I’ve set limits for myself to ensure that I work a little bit but also relax during vacations. I also don’t take any schoolwork with me on the break. Make sure to relax during your vacations, I understand that it’s different for everyone so try to do a little bit of work if you need to but also take out enough time to relax.” 

While helping students with time management and checking in on their well-being does already take place in many classrooms, it is in a largely informal manner. For this reason, the key is formalizing the process of providing said support to students. This can be done through advisory sessions to ensure that everyone is given access to the same information about what a healthy student work-life balance looks like, coupled with achievable target goals to create an ideal schedule from an educational and health perspective. 

Although the nagging feeling of being unproductive during the break will likely not be alleviated anytime soon, developing a healthy work-life balance is not impossible to accomplish. In fact, it is more simple to achieve than one may think. This can be done through a two-dimensional approach. Firstly, creating or revising a sufficient feedback mechanism to collect data on scheduling improvements for the upcoming semester, and secondly, incorporating more mental health sessions into advisories. This solution will allow a reframing of the narrative surrounding what it means to be productive and highlight that it does not need to mean sleepless nights devoted to finishing an assignment. On the contrary–it is best modeled through a well-planned schedule that allocates enough time for students to wind down and protect their mental well-being. 

Works Cited 

“Student Stress 101: Understanding Academic Stress | JED.” The Jed Foundation, 9 Mar. 2023, jedfoundation.org/resource/understanding-academic-stress/#:~:text=But%20research%20shows%20that%20feeling,%2C%20substance%20abuse%2C%20and%20anxiety. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.

“Teens and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, 17 Apr. 2009, http://www.sleepfoundation.org/teens-and-sleep. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.