Analysis Of The Overachiever: A Story Of Success By Alexandra Robbins

Throughout her book, The Overachievers: A Story of Success, Alexandra Robbins argues that as time goes on, students are put under an increasing amount of pressure to be involved in every activity and club possible in order to stand out in the college admission process. In chapter seven of her book, Robbins argues that this over-involvement can cause sleep deprivation in students. She cites the National Sleep Foundation as reporting this increase in involvement “can cause negative moods, decreased school performance, increased likelihood to try stimulants, and a higher risk of accidents and death. The latter category includes teen drivers who fall asleep at the wheel” (Robbins 179). A possible solution to this problem that many suggest is moving …show more content…
According to a policy statement on the effects of early school start times made by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2014, many recent studies have shown that a delaying start times result in a boost in teenagers’ grades and standardized test scores (American Academy of Pediatrics). One study done on Chicago public high school students found that student grades and test scores were considerably lower in first-period classes when compared to afternoon classes. Further, the study found a correlation between student performance on end-of-year standardized tests and the time in which the students were scheduled to take them (Cortez). Another study done on freshmen Air Force Academy students found that the students who started classes after 8:00am performed better across all of their courses compared to those who started before 8:00am (Carrell et al). A study done on middle schoolers found that moving back the start time by one hour could improve the average student’s math and reading by three percent (Edwards). Undoubtedly there is a correlation between delaying school start times and an increase in student test scores and grades. Because this result has been replicated as many times as it has, it is a viable reason to delay school start times, even if just for an …show more content…
One concern that is often associated with early start times is the car crash rate, which has been found to increase in areas where high schools have early start times. A study done by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine compared the adolescent crash rates between two counties in Virginia. One county had an early start time for their high school while the other had a delayed start time. The study found that the crash rate in the county with early start times had a crash rate that was 29 percent higher than the county with a delayed start time (Vorona). This study shows that there is a correlation between early school start times and car crashes, and it is plausible that many of these extra crashes were a result of the early school times. Therefore, if school start times are delayed, the overall safety of adolescent drivers will improve and less crashes will occur. Some may argue that study may not be representative of the rest of the United States. While true, this study shows that early start times do affect the safety of students in those two counties and if it occurs there, it can occur anywhere in the United States. Sleep deprivation in teenagers caused by early start times has been found to be harmful to their overall health. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, long term sleep deprivation has