As teenagers, our lives are filled with busy schedules. We try to manage sports, schoolwork, outside extracurriculars, all while trying to please our coaches, parents, and teachers. This task is definitely not an easy one to handle, as we can easily become overwhelmed by the set expectations that we must follow.

Expectations: Parents

Parents only want the best for us, but sometimes, their best can seem to weigh us down. While many parents expect their students to succeed in school, sometimes it can seem a little too much to handle.

“My parents expect me to get good grades and be well behaved, and while it is not intense, it is still there,” Josh Foutz, senior, said.

So, how are we supposed to handle the pressure of not only our parents, but outside pressures such as sports and extracurriculars? Taking time for ourselves, where we don’t meet anyone’s needs, but ourselves.

“I always try and buckle down to get my work done, but I also allow myself to do something that I want to do, so it’s a  release from the pressure,” Foutz, said.

Parents have to realize that we are still teenagers, trying to figure out our way in life, and while we want to please them, sometimes we just have to take a break.

Expectations: Coaches

You have to push yourself to be the best, or you’re out. Sports are a huge passion for many high schoolers, but none the less the pressure is ever present as teenagers strive to meet the expectations of being the star athlete on the team. While these high expectations are not set for everyone, Josiah Rider, a champion wrestler at GJHS, has to be a leader for the rest of his team.

“My coaches expect me to lead the team, and always do my best during practice. I think they expect me to figure out what I need to do to win each match,” Josiah Rider, junior, said.

While many athletes strive to lead the team, cheerleaders work together efficiently to make their team the greatest. Brianna Geyler, cheerleader, feels pressured for her team to make it to the top.

“Cheerleaders support everyone in the school, even though we are often looked down upon. So, I feel as though we have an expectation to follow up on because we are supportive of everyone else,” Brianna Geyler, junior said.

While coaches only want the best for their athletes, sometimes the pressure can stack up on students to push themselves towards success.

Expectations: Teachers

Teachers- we are surrounded by them for most of our lives and while teachers are there to help us learn and succeed, some of the expectations they set, may leave us drowning in homework, tests, and more stress in order to please them.

“My teachers expect me to be on time and work to a degree of excellence,” Tia Sewell, junior said.

While those expectations seem to be a given for any teacher, some may raise their expectations to a level that is too high for most students to handle.

“I think that a lot of the expectations that I am held to, may be too high for other students. Teachers need to assess each student’s ability and create expectations that each student can handle,” Sewell said.

Allowing expectations to be individualized, or more realistic, can create a happier and healthier school environment for many students that may be otherwise under a lot of stress.

Expectations: Ourselves

Our biggest critic is ourselves. While all of the above have talked about those around us setting expectations, we can sometimes push ourselves to a limit that are too high.

“I have always had high expectations for myself, as my dad is my role model, and he was valedictorian also,” Tia Sewell, junior, said.

While in the live in the age of social media, it is easy to compare ourselves to others as we can easily access Instagram and see our fellow classmate taking on 7 AP classes, the pressure is on to beat them.

“Our world is a lot different from our parents, because we have more resources available- all of the AP classes, we make our expectations higher and higher,” Josh Foutz, senior, said.

Expectations are not a bad thing for us to have, in fact, they are necessary for us to succeed. However, it does turn into a bad thing when we let these expectations run our lives and define us. Continue succeeding at sports, school, or whatever it may be, because only you can choose what will define you.