Teenagers say relentless pressure over marks is affecting their sleep and self-worth, while research suggests pass/fail grading may ease stress , but brings its own risks.
For many teenagers, grades are no longer just a measure of progress; they have become a source of constant pressure. Students who wrote in to The New York Times described checking marks repeatedly, losing sleep over small drops in percentage points and feeling defined by a single letter on a transcript. Several said academic performance has become tied to self-worth, future opportunity and even how intelligent they are perceived to be, with one student noting that “One bad mark feels like a failure.”
That anxiety is not limited to high school classrooms. Educational advisers who write about pass/fail grading say the system can help reduce stress and give students more room to explore subjects without fearing a hit to their grade-point average. At the same time, they warn that pass/fail classes can make it harder to distinguish strong performance and may carry consequences for students applying to selective programmes or trying to protect a transcript. In other words, the approach can ease pressure, but it is not a simple fix.
Research suggests the debate has real stakes for mental health. A study published in Wiley’s Health Economics found that introducing grades earlier in compulsory schooling was linked with worse mental health outcomes for girls later on, including higher rates of depression and anxiety diagnoses by the end of compulsory school. Another medical-school study indexed by PubMed found that moving to pass/fail grading reduced stress, improved mood and strengthened cohesion among students. Together, the findings support what many teenagers already say plainly: when every mark feels decisive, school can become emotionally exhausting.
That does not mean grades should disappear altogether. But the student comments point to a broader problem in how academic success is measured and explained. If children are taught from an early age that every score is a judgement of their future, they may come to fear mistakes rather than learn from them. A grading system that leaves more room for growth, experimentation and ordinary imperfection may not solve every problem, but it could help school feel less like a referendum on a student’s worth and more like a place to learn.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
