By Alex Stanley ’12
THE ROUNDUP

There is a fine line between wanting to get good grades and obsessing over them.

There comes a point when the pursuit of academic perfection goes too far and becomes workaholism.

“As a counselor, I have seen students that put a tremendous amount of pressure on themselves, and they work to the point of making themselves sick,” said Brophy counselor Mr. Frank Antonioli.

He has seen this first-hand, and explains there are two sides to workaholism.

“Workaholics come from perfectionism that is a part of someone’s character, the other side can be a competitive side; a drive to be the best” Antonioli said.

Mr. Antonioli said that even though he supports working hard and achieving good grades, the competitive nature of Brophy can instill workaholism to some degree.

Manuel Franco ’12 said he feels added pressure from AP courses.

“It is pass or fail almost, with the amount of homework you get. (I find myself) staying up really late to do it all,” Franco said.

Mr. Antonioli said the stress that stems from workaholism can create both physical and psychological ailments.

He said the only fix to this is a change in the psyche of a workaholic. That above all, “a willingness to not be perfect” is essential in ridding of this disorder.

This can include finding an activity to participate in, or merely hanging out with friends.