通宵写作业的美国高中生

作者家长注：国内家长对美国中小学教育有一个重大的误区。很多家长认为，美国学校学习轻松。为了不让孩子在国内受罪，有条件的家庭就会把孩子送到美国来读中学或者高中。其实美国高中生并不比国内的高中生轻松。除了应付功课，美国高中生还要参加很多课外活动。加之有的美国学生在高中时就开始修大学课程了，功课难，课外活动多，时间紧，很多美国高中生严重睡眠不足。有时候，为了得到好分数，有的高中生甚至要通宵熬夜写作业。下面这篇文章，真实记录了我家美国高中生在熬夜写作业之后的困惑。孩子的疑惑是：为了上好大学，熬夜写作业，大伤身体，这样做，值得吗？

这样做，值吗？

作者：涵琪 /翻译：水影儿

已经是深夜了。电脑键盘上的打字声，有节奏地敲击着静谧的夜晚。当我几乎睁不开眼睛的时候，孤独的台灯用刺眼的灯光让我保持着清醒。为了完成欧洲史的短文，即使是在电脑屏幕上写很少很短的一句话，我都要近乎绝望地详细翻看着我的笔记，并疯狂地寻找着可以用在我文章中的任何字句。

难熬的几星期以后，我在那个无眠之夜写的文章被老师评了分。一个通红的A字，印在了我的作业上。意外的惊喜，是的，我很惊喜，因为这是一个来之不易的小胜利。无眠之夜过后，随之而来的那些慢腾腾的上学日，让我忽然明白了一个道理：哪怕是得B甚至是C，那一夜，我都应该好好睡个觉。因为我妈妈经常说，健康是最重要的。

随着功课难度的加深，我要熬夜写作业的这种事情越来越多了，而我并不是唯一应付学校压力的学生。时间紧，功课多，或者二者兼而有之，美国高中生为了保持好成绩，都面临着越来越大的压力和焦虑。在理想情况下，美国高中生应该能够集中精力并游刃有余地应付作业。可惜，这种理想状态却很难达到。通往名校的激烈竞争，加之学校最近推行的前所未有的以“共同核心”为目标的高教学标准，已经造成了一个令人吃惊的局面：很多高中生为了未来付出了太多的健康代价。

问题是：这样做，值吗？

Is it worth it?

The hour is late. The sound of clacking of fingernails on keyboard has become a steady rhythm against the overwhelmingly silent atmosphere. The lone desk lamp is rudely bright in a vain attempt to keep me awake as my eyes begin to involuntarily close. a tragically small amount of type appear on my screen as I desperately rummage through my notes, frantically searching for something, anything, to be included in my European History paper.

A few weeks and a few more tough situations later, I get my paper back, stamped with a bright red “A”. A pleasant surprise, yes, but it is hardly a victory. That sleepless night and the exceptionally slow school day following it convinced me that I would have rather taken a B or even a C in exchange for sleep that night. My mom always says, health is the first priority for everyone.

 I have found myself in this situation in an increasing number of times as I advance educational levels, and I am undoubtedly not the only one experiencing school-related troubles. Whether by time complications or increased workloads, or even a combination of both, the average high schooler is undoubtedly bound to be subject to increasing levels of stress and anxiety in order to keep up with school and maintain grades. In an ideal world, they would be able to handle it smoothly and stay completely focused, but the ideal is often far from attained. Factor in the increasing competition in order to get into a good college, as well as the recent push for unprecedented higher educational standards marketed as “Common Core,” and it becomes startling clear that the health of many high schoolers are taking massive tolls.

The question is: Is it worth it?