Competition Culture in Schools
Healthy vs unhealthy competition + how to identify them in schools
Almost anything can be made into a competition. Whether it’s sports, dancing, getting a job, or top grades, it is natural for people to compete, especially in skills they are confident with. There’s nothing wrong with that; healthy competition has many pros. However, in highly competitive environments such as schools, competition can become unhealthy fast.
In particular, high schoolers such as myself tend to be extremely competitive in school. For many of us, the goal is to get into a good college. To do so, we strive to succeed in many different areas so we are seen as an outstanding applicant.
This desire fosters an environment where peers are always competing with each other aka competition culture. While competition can have a positive impact on a student’s growth, it can be extremely suffocating when it goes too far.
Healthy Competition
A healthy level of competition is always welcome, if not necessary. It gives students motivation to branch out and grow. For example, I became a volunteer tutor after searching for different extracurricular opportunities. It was a position that I had to devote a lot of time to, but I enjoyed it and thought it would make me a better applicant. I learned communication skills and exposed myself to a different environment, so I ultimately grew as a person.
Another advantage of healthy competition in schools is that a student can experience competing without having as severe repercussions as they might in the adult world. This will make them better prepared not just for the competition of the real world, but also for facing failures.
Unhealthy Competition
This is where the environment becomes too focused on being the top dog rather than growing as a person. For instance, if a student feels the need to engage in an extracurricular solely for the purpose of standing out even though they don’t enjoy it, they are in an unhealthy competitive environment. While it is okay to use college as a motive to start, it shouldn’t be the only reason a student engages in an activity.
Going back to my example of being a tutor, while I used college as a motive to start with, I continued because I enjoyed teaching. If I continued to tutor solely with the intent of putting it on my college application, that would indicate unhealthy competition.
On the other hand, unhealthy competition may also cause a student to refrain from participating in activities they are interested in since they are worried they aren’t skilled enough.
Unhealthy competition leads to numerous other things as well. Students may focus more on the grade rather than learning. This type of mindset is extremely detrimental as it can foster the behavior where students only retain information for a test and then “flush” it out of their brain after. This behavior stunts growth as it makes it difficult for students to reflect on their past selves.
Another con of unhealthy competition is its overall effect on students’ mental health. It causes an excessive amount of stress and pressure. Not to mention, it can have devastating effects on a student’s self-esteem if they don’t achieve their set goal. If a student makes one small mistake, they might start doubting themselves. In the words of an anonymous high school student, “The mentality about the competitive nature in school makes me, as a high school student, feel extremely insecure about skills I know I excel at”.
Identifying Competition in a School Environment
Many of us tend to blame only ourselves for not being able to grow. We may tell ourselves that we are “weak” for being overwhelmed by the competitive environment since competition is normal.
While our internal strength affects our growth, so does the external environment. For example, no matter how strong a flower is, if it is repeatedly trampled, cut, neglected, and surrounded by a rocky environment, it’s going to have a hard time growing.
So, being able to identify your external environment may help relieve some of the pressure/blame you put on yourself. I touched a bit on some of the signs before, but here’s a list of signs to look for at school.
Signs of Healthy Competition
· Not getting first place is ok; you won’t be seen as lesser because of it
· You do extracurriculars for enjoyment; people don’t feel the need to take on many extracurriculars to seem “achieved”
· People honestly congratulate each other’s achievements
· People focus more on their own growth
· You desire to try again and improve when you fail
· When put in a team, you focus on creating a good result together
· People build themselves up to win
· There is more focus on progress
· People put more emphasis on what someone did well
· You can enjoy yourself while participating in competitive events
Signs of Unhealthy Competition
· You feel like a failure if you aren’t first place; you will be looked down upon for not being first
· You do extracurriculars even if you don’t enjoy them for college; you are judged by what activities you do
· People don’t show appreciation for other’s accomplishments
· People focus more on how achieved others are compared to them
· You are devastated by failure
· When put in a team, people focus on proving themselves
· People tear others down to win
· There is more focus on the end result
· People put more emphasis on what someone didn’t do well
· You are overwhelmed by fear and nervousness during a competitive event
If you find that your school has an unhealthy competition culture, unfortunately, there might not be much you can do to change it. However, you can relieve some of the pressure you’ve probably put on yourself.
Realize that it’s ok not to be number one all the time. You are a human; it is okay to make mistakes and then try again. You are not defined by what grades you get or what extracurriculars you take. If you want to actually grow, try not to focus on what other people are doing. Focus on improving yourself through activities you enjoy. You can succeed without tearing others down.
Competition is an unavoidable aspect of life. It is bound to make one nervous, but it shouldn’t be something that makes you quake in fear either. This is especially true for an everyday environment such as school. Hopefully, you are able to gauge what your everyday environment is like using the lists above.
Most things are best enjoyed in moderation, and competition is no exception.
Ananya Gupta, Mindsage Intern
