Student Spectrums

Dania Rezwan Iqbal is a highschool writer who enjoys exploring various different topics concerning politics, health, and education. Her writings for Students Spectrums explore subjects that affect students across the United States. Through her writing, Dania hopes to bring change and spread awareness on issues affecting people’s lives. In her free time, Dania enjoys drinking coffee and reading fantasy novels.

As a student in California, I am well aware of the many pressures students face in their daily lives. These include balancing academics, extracurricular activities, personal life, and many other things. Mental health has become a serious issue in schools not just in California, but across the United States of America. However, Proposition 2 aims to establish better mental health services in school to help students deal with their everyday lives. By voting for Proposition 2, students like me will have more access to mental health support that so many of us desperately need by creating a healthier environment that balances learning and rest.

Throughout the years, especially as competition for jobs has increased, the number of people who face mental health challenges has risen. The pressure of performing well academically, fear of failing, stress, and anxiety for the future have negatively impacted many students in California. These students, including myself, struggle with the mental strain that comes from dealing with academic pressure. Oftentimes, schools place great importance on students’ physical health, but mental health is not given the same amount of importance. It is overlooked by schools, even though it is just as crucial for a student to maintain mental health as well as physical health.

Based on a study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, one in three adolescents experiences an anxiety disorder at one point. This statistic highlights how imperative it is that schools begin focusing on students’ mental health. Proposition 2 addresses this problem, and strives to make mental health conditions better for students across California, as a student who experiences the pressure and stress of schoolwork on a daily basis, knowing that Proposition 2 is striving to grant greater access to counseling and therapy to students fills me with solace. 

Academic stress is a common issue that many young people face. Anxiety over tests, exams, and personal issues combine to form a large load that students find difficult to carry with them. In the end, this can have a negative impact on students’ academic performance, with the workload decreasing their grades rather than making them better. Better mental health leads to better focus and a more positive take on learning. As a student who wishes to succeed academically, it’s often frustrating to see how students are not getting the mental support that they so desperately need. 

Proposition 2 is a lifeline for students across California who need better access to mental health care. It addresses a key issue that affects many majority of students and aims to solve it. By equipping schools and communities with better mental health institutions, Proposition 2 makes sure that students are able to get all the help that they need to manage the pressures of academics and other personal issues. By voting for Propositions 2, people will establish the groundwork to better mental health and quality life of future generations.