Throughout the years of high school, there is an enormous amount of testing that we, as students, have to undergo. On top of all the school work that we’re doing, the state and school mandate that we show we understand what we learn. While that might make sense to most, the sheer magnitude of tests that students have to undergo is incredibly stressful. With all the work we’re already doing for all our classes, we have to add more onto that to study for AP exams, state testing, ACT, SAT and all the other tests that a student may have to take.

This year has been incredibly difficult for me in terms of homework. I have had on average three hours of homework a night. I can’t remember the last time I went home and didn’t have anything to do. On an especially bad night, I may be up until two or three in the morning trying to finish all the homework I have. On the weekends, I have to set aside at least a couple hours every day to finish things from the prior week and prepare for the upcoming week.

This year has been a blur of homework, tests, quizzes and long nights. There hasn’t been a second for me to breathe in months and I’m starting to feel it. This feeling is only multiplying due to the up and coming AP exams that I have been spending the last eight months preparing for. The pressure that is put upon these tests by teachers, parents and myself is only adding to the stress I am feeling when I should be trying to alleviate the stress.

It isn’t healthy to feel like there is an elephant sitting on your chest at all times. It isn’t healthy to think that three hours of homework a night is normal. It isn’t healthy to never see your friends. It isn’t healthy to not have a second for yourself.

It feels overwhelming — especially if you’re a perfectionist, like myself, who wants to understand and be amazing at everything.

The worst part of this is, there is no way you can take a mental health day, because if you do, and you miss school, you just got yourself another seven hours of makeup work on top of the homework and studying you’re already doing. The expectations that are put upon students by school to do amazing and do everything is unrealistic and unattainable. These tests are adding another layer of stress to students that is in no means necessary.

We are stressed out enough.

What we need is a moment to breathe.