Academic stress is very common on high school students and it became part of everyone's life.

It can
come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry or anxious. A low level of stress
could be good. It can motivate you and help you become more productive. It provides the means to
express talents and energies and pursue happiness. However, too much stress or a strong response to
stress can be harmful. A high level of stress may have negative effect on cognitive functioning and
learning of students. It can affect student’s grades, health and personal adjustment (Akande,
Olowonirejuaro, and Okwara-Kalu, 2014).

Junior high school students thought that they are the most stressed person during exams and
consecutive activities but they never thought that it is just a minor level of academic stress compared to
senior high school or in college. Students have to face many academic demands, for example, school
examination, answering questions in the class, showing progress in school subjects. Understanding what
the teacher is teaching, competing with other classmates, fulfilling teachers and parents academic
expectations. These demands may tax or exceed available resources of the students. As a consequence,
they can be under stress, since the demand is related to achievement of an academic goal (Lal, 2014).

However, stress is perceived in different ways and may mean different thing to different individuals. It is
perceived as events or situations that cause individuals to feel tension, pressure, or negative emotions
including anxiety and anger. Moreover, other people define stress as the response to existing situations,
which includes physiological changes (increased heart rate, and muscle tension), emotional and
behavioural changes (Bernstein, et al 2008). Stress is always regarded as a psychological process that
involves an individual‟s personal interpretation and response to any threatening event (Prabu, 2015).

The researchers chose this topic to know what are the common stressors of junior and senior high school
students of Saint John School and to know their differences. The researchers also wants to know how to
cope on these kind of stressors and tge most common subjects that may cause stress to the students.