Tag: education

How Do Tests Affect The Mental Health Of Students?

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by Madison McKenzie
Academy for Advanced Studies
McDonough, Georgia

With teenagers facing multiple mental health challenges, the plethora of testing required in many schools can be overwhelming for  students. 

Rudi McKenzie, a licensed clinical social worker who works primarily with women who suffer from depression and anxiety, said testing can cause high anxiety for students, especially for those already suffering from mental health issues.

“From a counseling standpoint, what I see with different clients is how test taking can impact identity, how you see yourself, the pressures that the society, your family, your friends and your close circle can put on you,” McKenzie says. “As far as, ‘If I don’t do well, how will they see me? If I don’t do well, they will see me as a failure.” 

Christopher McKenzie, a former part time lecturer at Kennesaw State University in the Wellstar program, said he saw that anxiety firsthand with some students. “By testing the knowledge that they gain throughout the course of the semester, that anxiety comes up in various forms,” Christopher McKenzie said. “Whether it’s them saying they are not going to show up to class today, or saying that they are going to panic.” 

Christopher McKenzie, a former lecturer at Kennesaw State University, noticed that some of his students struggled with test anxiety.

In his time at Kennesaw, some students would have some sort of anxiety when it comes to testing, or just homework in general. This would be because students are afraid of failure and have the fear of disappointing, McKenzie said. This can lead to panic attacks, shortness of breath, chronic worry, difficulty concentrating, a lack of sleep, and mood changes. Food habits can also be impacted. 

Depression also comes into play. This is because so many things are coming to one’s mind and so many things within an individual  are changing as well. A lot of tests can really make or break somebody. If a person is a bad test taker, that is also more stress and anxiety on a student or even an adult that is trying to go back to school. 

Rudi McKenzie would see some of these students in her practice.

“I think on average, If I had 20 students on my caseload, more than half have been impacted in some form mentally by testing, anxiety, or testing impacts,” she said.

There are healthy approaches to help a student succeed. Student services and counseling services are some ways that students can get the testing accommodations that they really need. Students that make what they are going through known to a trusted adult can most definitely get the help that they need. The other side is there are other students that are maybe afraid to ask for help because they don’t want to seem like they need somebody to depend on. They could also be afraid to speak out about how they feel because they are scared that they will get turned down. 

“Address the thinking,” Christopher McKenzie said. “It is important to address irrational thoughts, and those irrational thoughts can really turn into a gambit of ideas and things like false beliefs. It is important to have a safe space to address any false belief, help create emotional wellness or well being.” 

Rudi Coleman, a licensed counselor, said that people should be aware of how anxiety impacts them.

Rudi McKenzie said that recognizing that there are steps a student can take to improve their own mental health is critical to overcoming anxiety. “We are all responsible,” she said. What I’m thinking, what I’m going through is different than what you are thinking and going through. Even though we share similarities we are also two different people.” 

Despite the differences between people, Rudi McKenzie said confiding in friends and others who share similar feelings can be helpful in overcoming anxiety.“Make sure that you have a community in which you can relate to or share things with, especially communicate with,” she said, adding that it’s important not to focus on comparing your experiences with others. “Comparison can be really dangerous because you can get in your head and think that you are the only one thinking something and that something is wrong with yourself.” 

Acknowledging that your anxieties are natural is critical. “Remind yourself that your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions, are important and very meaningful.”

If you are experiencing mental health concerns, call 988.

Edie Ash

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Peer, student journalist and coffee fanatic are all things I can use to describe myself. From UGA Football games to neighborhood music festivals, being an Athens, Georgia native played a significant role into the shaping of my self identity.

Growing up in Athens, I was constantly surrounded by the music, art, food and culture of the diverse town. I was exposed to a variety of people with backgrounds exceptionally different than mine, which is ultimately what led me to journalism. I was intrigued by the idea of telling the stories of the people who made up the community that I love.

My journalistic journey didn’t start until my freshman year when I joined my schools magazine- the ODYSSEY Media Group at Clarke Central High School. Though I intended on furthering my journalistic skills, I primarily joined to get involved with my school community. I was unaware of the true impact practicing journalism would have on me, and how it would change my outlook on numerous topics. The stories I witnessed the upperclassman in my publication report on inspired me to come back my sophomore year, in hopes that I too could have the same impact. From politics to natural disasters, I was shocked by their ability to cover such mature topics with an exceptional amount of professionalism.

Following the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School, I read what felt like endless articles covering the political controversy sparked by the incident. It wasn’t until I read an article published by a student journalist at my school that I truly felt seen, heard and understood as a student. It was then that I was able to grasp the true importance and impact student journalists have on their community, and the essential role they play in ensuring that the student body is heard in a time where we often feel like the last priority.

As I continue my journey as a student journalist, I have made it my mission to be an outlet for student voices, opinions and stories. Not only this, but in a way that is diverse, accurate and balanced. It is the student body that shapes me as a journalist.

Paul Chandler

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I am Paul Chandler, a current student, and I am lucky to have two loving parents and an older brother. I have been given a front seat ride to multiple different experiences and cultures. I was born near Baltimore, and I moved down to Oglethorpe when I was two, not having any real memories of my past. We moved into a house in a rural neighborhood, with access to the woods and a river behind our house. I loved when my parents would take me back into the forest on hikes with me and my brother wearing our superhero costumes. I remember when I would get tired, my parents would convince me to keep going by saying that Joker was up ahead the next bend.

I started school at a small montessori school, which I went to until I was in third grade. There I made my best friends which I still am connected with today. I was taught how to garden and have a somewhat free childhood. We stayed in the same class with 1st through 3rd graders for three years, allowing to form deep connection with those kids in our class.

In 3rd grade, I switched schools to Whit Davis, a public elementary on the East Side. At first I somewhat held onto my brother because he had gone to that school the previous year, where he accidently pulled the fire alarm during his tour with the principle. I ended up getting used to the transition, and I met a lot of people with different personalities and stories. I enjoyed it a lot and it got me a good grip on the larger school. That summer in 5th grade I went to a YMCA Christian sleep away camp in Tullulah, where I won Camper of the Year and enjoyed it a lot. I did remember feeling out of place jumping around singing Christian music in a circle, being punished if we weren’t screaming but whatever.

I went to Hilsman for middle school, which is the school everyone went to after graduating Whit Davis. It was way bigger than my last two years of school, because all 4 elementary schools joined as one, so 4 times the people. A few of my old friends from 3rd grade came to this school from the other elementarys that led to that school. I really enjoyed the experience, and I had a lot of fun in classes and making new friends. 6th grade went well. I returned to the same camp in the summer, this time for two weeks. This ended up somehow becoming miles less joyful, and one time we were sleeping in a bungalow type place by a lake, when a neighboring house burned down, giving me severe Bronchiectasis.

In 7th grade, I had an even better semester at school, and made a lot more new friends than the previous year. That November, we moved into my grandpas condo for two months and rented out our house, for 7 months while we went to Switzerland, which was such a special trip that we got to take because my dad had a job opportunity over there for the semester. I was sad to leave, because I was enjoying school so much, but the homesickness wore off after two months of being over there. I went to the public school on the german speaking side of Switzerland. Most people were welcoming and spoke slow German to me allowing me to become semi-fluent after my trip concluded. I was very into basketball then, unlike the majority of the country, who played soccer and tennis. Thanks to the amazing public transportation, I was able to take a free bus to the train station, ride to the closest city, Lucerne, take another bus to the town Kriens, then walk a bit to the basketball gym, where I practiced with kids from around the city. My coach was very nice, and although I couldn’t play in the games, I was able to improve a lot and learn more Swiss casual German. We went to multiple countries using the train system since we didn’t have a car.

We came home late that June since that’s when school ends there. I had a fun summer revisiting friends, and sharing my experiences. Cedar Shoals, the school my mom taught at didn’t hire her back after our trip, so she got a job at my middle school which led into Cedar. I helped my mom move her stuff into the class along with her fish for most of the summer, then started the best school year of my life. My teachers were really nice, and all I had a lot of fun. I tried out for basketball along with 70 other kids, and played really well in tryouts and made the team. Although I was kind of a bench rider throughout the season, practice was super fun and I made friends from 7th grade and strengthened my friendships with the 8th graders. We won the championship that year, and then I tried out for soccer pretty much the next day. I played a decent amount because that was the only pick up game to play in Switzerland, and some of my friends were playing. The team wasn’t as competitive, and I made it. I played CB, which was fun, and I loved the relaxed energy of the team, and even though we barely won, it was even better when we did. The season ended, and I finished out the last 2 months of school, which were really fun, because the real schoolwork ended and we just had fun.

My parents decided it was best for me to go to Athens Academy for high school because they believe the education would be better for my future. I was very sad because it meant leaving all my friends I made throughout the last five years, but I ended up going to the new school anyway. I went to my grandpas house in Maine for the July that summer and spent a lot of time with my moms side of the family, my 3 first cousins and my 50 something second cousins, along with my grandparents.

I started my 9th year at Athens Academy, and I knew one friend from 3rd grade, but it was still akward and hard to make new friends. We were assigned so much more work than I was used to, especially because I never really had homework, and now it was nightly for every class. I finished the year with average grades and a decent education, but I was still sentimental and sad that I left my old life at my old school.

Now it is the summer and I am at this journalism camp writing a biography about my life so far. I feel like I have experienced many shades of life, and I am hopefully ready to finish high school strongly and then have a good future.