Teenagers nowadays find themselves in a difficult situation. While there are numerous students who succeed in school, many of those same students also have a huge gap compared to their lower-achieving classmates. Jerusha Conner, Denise Pope, and Mollie Galloway explain the difference in their study: From 2006 to 2008, we collected data from 3,645 students, who attended seven high-performing high schools in the California Bay Area... The vast majority (85%) had reported a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and the majority (63%) reported that they often or always work hard in school... By most measures, these are the types of students who we would like our high schools to produce. However, a different story emerges from our data. Many students reported feeling stressed, overworked, and sleep-deprived. They spoke about the effects of stress on their mental and physical well-being and their ability to learn academic material. As explained by their survey, today's teenagers experience a great deal of stress due to their academic performance. Whether it comes from their parents, other family members, teachers, or administrators, a huge number of students feel the need to continually achieve excellence. It should be the family who lovingly pushes the child in the right direction. In contrast, large numbers of today's parents are pushing too hard to get their children's grades beyond a B or an A and to graduate at the top of their class. Students may also feel more tense due to teachers' grading style with each passing year. As instructors expect more each year and grade more harshly, this puts additional pressure on students to work harder and longer than they did in the past. It is true that in previous years those individuals... middle of paper... .with Dr. Autin on a personal level because I am constantly stressed due to school and the many tasks I often have to do. With the help of the adults who run our schools and raise students, we can resolve this dilemma and the effects it has on students today and for years to come. Works Cited Autin, Frédérique. “Reducing academic pressure can help children succeed.” American Psychological Association, nd Web. 23 February 2014.American Psychological Association. “Generational Stress: 2012.” American Psychological Association, n.d. Web. February 26, 2014. Conner, Jerusha. “Academic Stress on Students.” Challenge success. Np, nd Web. 23 February 2014. Lamas, Daniela. “The Dark Side of College Life: Academic Pressure, Depression, Suicide.” The dark side of university life: academic pressure, depression, suicide. Np, nd Web. March 28. 2014.