My parents want me to have a perfectly well-rounded high school experience. I am constantly told to soak in my high school years of unforgettable memories and no responsibilities by having fun with friends and getting involved in extracurriculars. Of course, I must also take as many rigorous courses as possible to make sure I get into a good college. It is also vital to my well-being to get at least an hour of exercise a day, eight hours of sleep, maintain a healthy balanced diet, lay off the caffeine and always make my bed in case the president happens to stop by.

For overachievers like myself, high school is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of endless opportunities. There are plenty of clubs to join, sports to play and advanced courses to take. My freshman year I was relatively smart and only played one sport and took one advanced course. That sounded kind of pathetic to me, so sophomore year I bulked up with five advanced courses, three clubs and extra volunteer work outside of school. All my teachers warned me to stay away from taking all advanced courses, but I didn’t listen because I knew I could handle the extra pressure and many of my even busier friends did the same. And I was right, I could handle it. I maintained my grades. However, I was miserable.

For me, taking all advanced classes and still keeping up with friendships and extracurriculars went like this: School for eight hours then play rehearsal for two more hours or Call late nights then come home and do homework until 11 p.m. when I would pass out. Then get up at 6 a.m. the next morning and repeat. I missed a lot of memorable events like male pommies and experiences such as decorating the halls for Turkey Day because I was too busy stuck in my room with a five-pound textbook cramming for a test over something I barely remember now.

Many may read this and think they can still do what I did and many probably can, but please consider the repercussions of pushing yourself to the limit. A survey by the American Psychological Association found that 45 percent of students attributed stress in high school purely to academic pressures. What I didn’t mention before was how many times I broke down crying because I didn’t have enough time to study for a test the next day or couldn’t finish a Quia on time. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about and are planning on taking Honors Chemistry this year, you are in for a world of pain). Was it worth it? I’m not sure, but it did make me realize what’s really important to me. This year, I decided to cut down my advanced courses to only three in my favorite subjects and focus on activities I really enjoy.

High school isn’t just about perfecting your college transcript. It’s also about creating memories and soaking up high school experiences like going to Friday night football games and decorating the hallways for Turkey Day. High school only comes once in a lifetime, and the constant stress over grades isn’t worth missing unforgettable experiences.