SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST

Published in Uncaged, February 2024

Academic competition between students

by Kaitlyn Oversmith, Uncaged Reporter

This article is being reprinted, with minimal edits, from the Uncaged Student News February 2024 edition.

Competitiveness, the need to win and be the best, is something that comes naturally to humans. According to Sander van der Linden, a renowned social psychologist, competitiveness is what commonly drives us to work harder. The determination to prosper in sports, games and careers ofi:en stems from a sense of competitiveness.

In school, students ofi:en compete for the best grades, the most honors and the highest GPA. But when does it become too much? Can this seemingly healthy competition among aspiring students take a deleterious turn?

Sarah Garcia-Linz, an academic coach at Lansing Community College, believes there are both positive and negative impacts of competitiveness in high school.

On one hand, academic competition ofi:en serves as a good motivator. It allows students to set goals and gives them something to work towards. In fact, according to American Heritage School, It’s been proven that the social motivation of competing against school peers can push students to be more dedicated to their academics because it inspires them to do their best instead of just good enough.

Leslie Cummings, the Stockbridge counselor, has had personal experiences where she has seen firsthand how competition has moved students to put in more effort with their classes.

“I had this one student – a smart kid – but he struggled with motivation. One day he got into a competition with another student and I’ve never seen him work harder,” Cummings said. “Competition allowed him to care, so I’d say it’s a good thing for the most part.”

The benefits of competition extend far beyond motivation. Actually, the advantages can reach into many aspects of your life. Garcia-Linz says it can teach you valuable life lessons such as learning how co lose with grace, adopting a growth mindset, managing your stress and balancing your time and responsibilities. But what Garcia-Linz deems as the most important takeaway from academic competition is chat it prepares you for the workforce.

“There are few jobs in which there is no competition. Usually, people who outperform others ofi:en have more opportunities to advance,” Garcia-Linz said. “Some competition in school is good because it prepares you early on.”

Individuals among the student body thrive in the competitive environment that a school can feel. Senior Jason Gruber is a prime example of this. Throughout his high school career, Gruber has continuously worked hard and has a bright future. He says that the unspoken competition among students and the need to stand out, has played a role in his success.

“I’ve always driven myself to achieve the best that I can because I know with effort and dedication I am capable of doing well,” Gruber said. “Competition has definitely aided me in that drive up till now.”

Competition has its benefits. However, even with all the good it brings, it appears to also have a hidden dark side. According co the Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic, competition, when taken co che extreme, can ofi:en lead co a fear of failure, negative feelings and bad healch. This overzealous competitiveness is not entirely uncommon in students. Cummings, though usually an advocate for competi cion, says chat she’s seen students put coo much importance on their grades up to the point chat students don’t want to challenge themselves for fear of failing and falling behind ocher students.

“I’ve had many students hold themselves back from what they’re really capable of so they don’t run the risk of not getting straight A’s or ruining their 4.0 GPA,” Cummings said. “They are far coo focused on material things instead of pushing themselves and crying their best. It’s sad to see.”

Cummings isn’t alone in chis realization. Students themselves have discerned that they put too much of their self-worth on their grades and ofi:en can experience self-deprecating thoughts when they don’t perform as well as their peers.

“We have always been cold to strive to be the best in che class which creates a sense of competition with your peers. But some people are just naturally better at things than others, which can make you feel inadequate even if you’re not,” senior Coco Cesarz said. “There have been many moments, throughout high school especially, that I have felt like a failure as a person because of this.”

Cesarz is not alone in her struggle with the competitive nature culcivated in school. Senior Gavin Hare shares similar thoughts and experiences.

The severe downsides to competition don’t stop there. The sense of competition that students so frequencly carry can even impact their health. Garcia-Linz notes that she commonly sees this among high school and college students.

“I notice a culture of perfectionism among a lot of students and an issue I would see from chem as a result of this was eating disorders,” Garcia-Linz said. “It’s really heartbreaking co see and sadly I see it pretty regularly in students.”

le seems chat on a surface level competition among students can reap many benefits. In addition, it can be a very useful cool for chem. However, when diving deeper into the darker nature competition can have, it has been found that it can have very damaging effects on the student body.

“Some competition is a good thing. It is important to have some motivation co do your best,” Garcia-linz said. “However, it also can become unhealchy. Too much competition or pressure to be che best can lead co mental healch issues, which unfortunately happens way coo ofi:en in school.”

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Uncaged articles are sponsored by The Stockbridge Area Educational Foundation. SAEF is currently looking for new board members. For more information on SAEF, visit www.panthernet.net/our district.

Senior Brady Cole studies for his upcoming calculus test by memorizing the formulas to antiderivatives and integrals. Cole is also enrolled in AP Literature, AP Computer Science and AP World History. Photo credit Nicole Wadkins