Happy Vs Hefty Research Paper
Happy Versus Hefty
At top high schools all over the country, there is an unsaid, yet prevalent pressure to do everything in your power to place yourself at the top of the academic food chain; a pressure to prove to your parents and peers that you are among the best; a pressure to take advanced placement or honors classes. In communities in which most people graduate high school to go on to higher education, such as Port Washington, New York, the pressure to follow the example of the top tier students is absolutely overbearing. Due to these social pressures and expectations, many students feel the need to participate in classes they may not be ready to endure, and struggle in the course as a result. Happiness is compromised and stress takes …show more content…
But for people that are not ready for advanced classes, it is unfair to compare themselves to people who are there for the right reasons. Of those who feel inclined to take advanced classes, there is a group of students who participate in APs for wholesome, justifiable reasons. One of these reasons may be the fact that the student is genuinely interested in the material offered in the course. At Schreiber High School in Port Washington specifically, a student may be especially intrigued by European history and opt to take AP European History. By taking this course, they are offered knowledge to which the equivalent is not offered anywhere else in the school. This reason for AP participation is completely justifiable and honorable, as the student is doing what they consider necessary to enrich themselves with information they actually want. However, for an individual in the same course, simply taking the class for an AP credit, or to boost their GPA, they will probably suffer. The work could be uninteresting to them, and their performance would lack as a result. The suffering is not exclusive to performance, however, as the student could get more than they bargained for, and become completely overwhelmed. Essentially, this person is compromising their happiness (and sometimes health) to take part in a class they should not be
At top high schools all over the country, there is an unsaid, yet prevalent pressure to do everything in your power to place yourself at the top of the academic food chain; a pressure to prove to your parents and peers that you are among the best; a pressure to take advanced placement or honors classes. In communities in which most people graduate high school to go on to higher education, such as Port Washington, New York, the pressure to follow the example of the top tier students is absolutely overbearing. Due to these social pressures and expectations, many students feel the need to participate in classes they may not be ready to endure, and struggle in the course as a result. Happiness is compromised and stress takes …show more content…
But for people that are not ready for advanced classes, it is unfair to compare themselves to people who are there for the right reasons. Of those who feel inclined to take advanced classes, there is a group of students who participate in APs for wholesome, justifiable reasons. One of these reasons may be the fact that the student is genuinely interested in the material offered in the course. At Schreiber High School in Port Washington specifically, a student may be especially intrigued by European history and opt to take AP European History. By taking this course, they are offered knowledge to which the equivalent is not offered anywhere else in the school. This reason for AP participation is completely justifiable and honorable, as the student is doing what they consider necessary to enrich themselves with information they actually want. However, for an individual in the same course, simply taking the class for an AP credit, or to boost their GPA, they will probably suffer. The work could be uninteresting to them, and their performance would lack as a result. The suffering is not exclusive to performance, however, as the student could get more than they bargained for, and become completely overwhelmed. Essentially, this person is compromising their happiness (and sometimes health) to take part in a class they should not be