Academic Anxiety:WELL Spotlight

Being in middle school is far from easy. Academics are becoming tougher, social conflicts are becoming harder to navigate, & the expectations placed on you have been raised. At Millburn Middle School, students have an extra challenge: to persevere in the face of challenges and failures. This is a lesson many people do not learn until much later in life, however, in such an academically competitive environment, it is essential to remember. In middle school, your grades do not matter for your future. Whether you receive a 90% on a test or a 30%, you can still achieve all your hopes and dreams the same. The only thing that truly matters right now is determination to always give everything your all, passion to pursue what you love freely, & courage to take risks even if you do not succeed every time. 

I try to remind myself of this all the time. I have ambitious goals, and many dreams, yet my biggest weakness has always been my perfectionistic tendencies. At my old school, it was easier to get straight As. I must admit, it was nice to see perfect scores on my report card, but even then, the moment I’d make a mistake, I’d lose all faith in myself. Not only that, but I was not truly learning. Though having near perfect grades satisfied an anxious voice in my head afraid of failure, I was not reaching my full potential not only as a student, but as a person. 

I believe it is most important not to have the highest GPA or be in all AP classes, but to persevere through challenges. Getting 100s on every test is not positive for your growth. Failing, challenging yourself, & taking risks is vital to being successful. This lesson does not only apply to academics, but in all aspects of life. As an aspiring actress, I’ve participated in many auditions. Each time, the same feeling comes over my body that does when I am taking a difficult test. My palms become sweaty, I get dizzy, my heart feels like it’s beating out of my chest, and it feels as if my head is spinning. There have been many times when I have taken a risk and not received the outcome I was hoping for. This is an experience everyone goes through at some point in time, and is an experience more important than any grade or ranking. Shifting our focus away from scores and towards a growth mindset and perseverance is necessary to be successful and find fulfillment in school.

MMS has an entire Peer Leader group dedicated to mental health and maintaining a healthy school-home life balance. This group is known as WELL Peer Leaders. Wellness Week was just recently recognized, and our WELL Peer Leaders held numerous events during Study Hall to promote their cause. Monday was “Make A Compliment” Day to spread positivity to students, Tuesday was Bracelet Making in the Library, a zen activity to calm the mind, Wednesday was Wellness Bingo to spread awareness about mental health, on Thursday, therapy dogs were brought into the Makerspace, & finally, on Friday, calming activities such as coloring & games were included in the library. These mindful events hosted by the WELL Peer Leaders are great to have in the middle of a long day. 

Happy Wellness Week to everyone! Remember, no matter how tough things get, never give up on your dreams.