The Downside to Being an Overachiever - Part 1

You do it all. You play three sports; you belong to four clubs and hold officer positions in all of them; you volunteer at the local animal shelter, nursing home, and hospital; and you maintain straight A’s. Perhaps this scenario is somewhat exaggerated, but the truth is that more and more students today are becoming caught up in the trap of overachieving. Overachievers have plenty to put on a resume when it’s time to apply to colleges, but they pay a price. They lose a sense of balance, and the consequences can be severe.

The Negative Aspects of Overachieving

1. Loss of Focus (and Passion)

Overachievers are often spread quite thin. With only so many hours in the day and so much energy and effort to give, you have to divide your attention among a number of endeavors if you over schedule your time. When you feel pressure to excel in every area, you may lose the chance to discover a genuine personal interest or talent as you attempt to master all your activities. Consequently, you are likely to lose sight of what you truly like and to get less enjoyment from the things you do.

2. Poor Physical Health

The workload and time constraints of the typical overachiever leave relatively little time for sleep. In fact, sleep deprivation is common among overscheduled students, with many of them sleeping less than six hours per night. Excessively busy kids tend to suffer from poor eating habits, as well. If you don't have the time to sit down to three solid meals per day, you may have to grab food on the go, and such diets are often full of fats and sugar. Teens need sufficient sleep and nourishment to stay physically and mentally strong, so if you have too much to do, you may end up sacrificing your health.

3. Poor Mental Health

School demands and frustrations as well as taking on too many activities or having too high expectations are the leading causes of teenage stress. The desire to please others, as well as our culture’s clear emphasis on success, is creating a generation of workaholics who are draining themselves mentally and emotionally.

5. Problems Getting into College

The majority of colleges indicate that they are looking for well-rounded students. Essentially, they prefer applicants who achieve balance among their academic pursuits, their extracurricular activities, and their personal lives. When admissions officers look at resumes, they are attempting to assess leadership, commitment, and integrity. If you're an overachiever, beware. More is not necessarily better.