#9 Peer Interview for the “Mental Health Mentoring Series”

Freshman at Stanford University majoring in Earth Systems (Environmental Science) and History, and graduate of Gunn High School in 2024

In high school, what was your overall stress or anxiety level from a scale of 1-3:  3 - High

In college, what is your overall stress or anxiety level from 1-3: 2 - Moderate

What contributed to your stress or anxiety in high school?  Pressure to get good grades and take difficult classes

What contributes to your stress or anxiety in college?  Deadlines, exams

What were your favorite high school activity(ies)?  Water polo, Oracle (newspaper) 

What are your favorite college activity(ies)?  Rugby, class

How have pressures you faced in high school differ from your experience in college? 

They've changed slightly. I'm less worried about my GPA/grades because I'm not sure if I want to go to graduate school yet, and extracurriculars feel less like work and more like an interesting activity. 

How have your social relationships changed from high school to college or beyond? 

My network in college is definitely more extensive than my hometown one. I'd say I spend a lot more time being social in college, which leads to more plentiful friendships/relationships. 

How have your studying habits or approaches changed from high school to college?

Because there are only large exams (e.g. midterms and finals) for college courses, my study habits are more sporadic and intense. There's a cram, studying-night-before culture.

When you are stressed or anxious, what techniques, rituals, or ways do you manage?

Scheduling myself and blocking out time; exercising

What do you think high school students misunderstand or get wrong about college life? 

I don't think high school students understand the freedom and independence you have in college—the experience is exactly what you make it, no one is giving you your schedule or tracking your movements. There is a much smaller safety net than the one we have in high school so you always have to be thoughtful with your actions.

Knowing what you know now, if you were back in high school, what might you do differently? 

I would follow more opportunities to do things I'm interested in rather than trying to fit a mold of what colleges were "looking for."

What would be your best overall advice to high school students? 

Find your niche.