At every school, especially NDB, students are constantly surrounded by other motivated and eager students. Although this can very much be inspirational, it may also come across as pressure to be the best when it comes to class choices and coursework. A lot of students have noticed that their teachers, friends, family, and other peers have a strong influence on what classes they decide to take and the amount of work that they take on.
On one hand, the peer pressure and opinions may be a positive thing. When peers push one another to work hard and take advanced classes, it can build community and confidence. When someone does really good in a subject or a test, it makes their peers to possibly want to succeed more and work harder.
“I think definitely celebrating our wins is positive, and congratulating each other when necessary,” remarked senior Georgia Melvin. “And also bringing each other up when maybe we didn’t get the grade that we wanted, or, you know, any sort of academic situation where we might need a lift.”
However, not all this academic pressure is good. While pressure and influence can be seen as positive things, they can also be negative, making people feel like they need to take a certain class to keep up with other people, even if one is not completely interested in the topic. This can lead to stress or feeling overwhelmed. It can also make students question their own goals if they feel different from the group.
Along with students, teachers at NDB are seeing both the good and bad impacts of this peer pressure. They see the support that students receive from others and think that, in the classroom, especially, it can be an encouraging
Teachers at the school see both the good and bad sides of peer pressure. They notice that when students support each other, the classroom can become a positive and encouraging place. But when comparison or competition starts to take over, students can lose sight of what truly matters: learning and growing in their own way.
“So even when you hear a friend is doing something or a peer is doing something, it’s really important to consider if it makes sense for you, too, because everybody has different responsibilities, different goals,” shared guidance counselor Christina Christenson. “And so while it’s good to know what other people are doing, it’s really important to really, really consider if it makes sense for you too.”
In the end, peer pressure affects everyone differently. What matters most is that students learn to make choices that match their own goals and interests. Talking about these pressures and supporting one another can help make school a place where everyone feels comfortable following their own path.
