The Dynamics of Stress Strains

          Returning students waste no time explaining to new students the horrors of the academically infamous Turkey Term: back-to-back major assignments and winter sports pick up their intensity, all while arts ensembles culminate in stressful concerts. But when boiled down to its roots, the Turkey Term, or even the Winter Term itself, is really structurally no different from the fall or the spring. Still, stress levels at Lawrenceville wax and wane with the comings and goings of the term. 

          For Riley McKibben ’25, her first term on campus was the easiest in terms of academics. “II Form Fall was by far the easiest term I’ve had so far because we didn’t have any grades, so the academic pressures were much less.” However, McKibben noted that while the II Form Fall had a lighter academic workload, the fall was much more stressful socially. “The social pressures that came with everyone being new and making new friends was almost equivalent to some of the academic stress that I’ve felt here.” Despite the II Form Fall schedule reducing stress significantly to incentivize student bonding, social pressures seem to replace academic pressures present in any other term. 

          Like the II Form Fall narrative, the Fall Term seems generally accepted as the easiest term overall. Jenny Zhao ’25, a new III Former, pointed out a sudden rush of motivation beginning the new year, comparing the rush to the feeling of a “new year’s resolution,” which, while dying away quite quickly, gives you enough motivation and energy to finish the term. Zhao also noted that the weather in the fall significantly affects her stress levels. “While the workload of fall term is the same as any other, the weather offsets the workload and impacts my mood and ability to concentrate.” Risa Kato ’26, a new III Former this year, attributed her reduced stress in the fall to teacher expectations. “In the fall, teachers know that you’re still new and getting used to the environment, so they don’t expect to excel in everything,” she says. “But, as the year goes on, the expectations become higher, and so does the stress.” 

          Indeed, as the year goes on, Turkey Term and Winter Term approaches, leading to rising stress levels for nearly everyone on campus. “It gets dark, really, really early,” Zhao notes, “and that really takes a toll on my mental and emotional state…since you are in the middle of the academic year, your motivation from the summer is dying out but you also can not really look forward to summer realistically because it’s so far away.” 

          While the spring might lead to some reprieve in stress on campus, especially for V Formers who will have, for the most part, completed their college applications, it is no secret that the least stressful time at Lawrenceville is when you are not on campus. While we are in the weeds of the stress and exhaustion of the notorious Turkey Term, rewarding breaks and warmer weather are almost in each and every Lawrentians’ sight.