Toxic Academia in Abington Heights 

Toxic academia is defined as a student's need for academic validation at the expense of themselves and/or other students. At Abington Heights, taking all honors or AP courses just for the sake of a college application or the prestige of the class is a goal that many students may aspire to, despite the negative repercussions. This kind of thought can create a toxic culture in school that includes fear of failure, and determines self worth with academic success. Of course this is not the case for everyone; however, a pattern has revealed itself among high school students in Abington Heights and other high schools around the country.

Try Harder!

Try Harder! Is a documentary film following upperclassmen students at Lowell High School in San Francisco. Lowell is the highest ranked public school in the country (at  the time of  filming) and is filled with mostly Asian American students. The cameras follow these students for a full school year and the audience gets a first hand account of how competitive this school truly is.  Rachel, a senior at Lowell, says that despite being a good student and having good grades, “You’re always comparing yourself to other people.” Most of the students feel that even with their hard work, Stanford and the Ivy Leagues are out of reach. “Your GPA equals the life you want,” said Shea, a junior, expressing his goal of becoming  a scientist in renewable energy. “I obviously need to go to one of the top 20 colleges, otherwise I won’t be doing anything.” A statement he later redacted. One teacher asked some Lowell seniors what rejection letters would mean for their future, they responded saying, “You have none.”

Lowell students sometimes feel disadvantaged because the school is majority Asian American. One guidance counselor added to a presentation that the students are not going to get into their dream school, “because you're Asian.” 

Some parents of Lowell students force their kids to be the best. One student, Alvan Cai,  was forced by his mother to go to UC Berkeley, when the best school for his major was elsewhere. His mother wanted him to be at a school with prestige, and it is less than 30 mins away from home, so she could control his decision in college also. 

Obviously, Lowell High School is an extreme example of toxic academia, so let’s take a look at toxic academia at home.

In Abington 

It’s no secret that the Abingtons have a competitive culture. Everyone knows whose kid is the best at a sport or the best singer on the stage. This culture is passed down from parent to child, and sometimes, from school to student. Ava Smolley, a junior, said,  “Abington pushes you into taking AP Class. They tell you that good colleges want to see you take the AP class and fail because it's better than taking a level two course.” 

Another high school junior added, “The whole schooling system pushes us to take the high level classes, and when you don’t, they make you feel guilty about it.” It has become common knowledge among the junior class that a quick email to the guidance department will give you your class rank. 

I interviewed Angela Zeng, one of the smartest people I know, to ask her how she feels about academic toxicity. 

Q. Do you feel that other students think less of those who take the easier courses?

“Between upperclassmen and lower classmen: the upperclassmen tell us to take easier classes. I don’t feel that there is a stigma for taking level two classes. I don't think you should force yourself to take all honors classes. But making sure that you don't overwhelm yourself is very important in preventing burnout.”

Q. Do you think that the college that someone gets into changes the course of their future?

“I've seen a lot of people go from community college and build their career from there. College is just a starting point. Even if you go to an Ivy League, it only helps with your first job and everything after that is based on your work. Ivy League does not inherently mean you could be successful, but you could build a successful career from that starting point. You mainly just want to pick a college that will challenge you. Go to someplace that will challenge you to keep improving.”

Q. How do  you think that the Supreme court reviewing affirmative action will change the level of academic toxicity, if at all?

“I get the social-economic level of it. Like richer people can take SAT prep, once you know how to take the SAT, smarts don't matter. If you have more money it is easier to get better internships, or have a tutor. People lower in the social classes don’t necessarily have great resources. Money can only help you to  a certain degree. If you have no drive then you can't be competitive. I don't think money is everything when it comes to admissions. I can see both sides though. Both sides have their cons.”

The Cure

Some schools have made changes in the hopes of subduing the unhealthy competition among students. This includes things like the abolishing of class rank and the elimination of letter grades. If these measures were implemented at Abington Heights, it would certainly have a positive effect. 

If you struggle with toxic academia:

1. Speak up about it. When feeling the stress of school and grades, talking about it can calm the mind. It could also help you find support. You are not alone.

2. Do not compare your journey to someone else’s. When scrolling through social media it becomes more difficult not to compare yourself to others, especially when all we see are the highlights of someone’s life. If needed, take a break from being online.

3. It's okay to slow down. When we feel like we have to hustle all the time just to get by, it can cause burn out, or extreme stress that can influence your health. Take some time for yourself. Focus on what really matters and reassess. You are only human.

Resources

More on Toxic Academia from PBS

Tips for preventing burnout 

Coping with Stress - from the CDC 

TedTalk on overcoming challenges 

Your Grades Do Not Define You