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Student Lived Experience

Student Statements About Difficulties Attending School

Feeling overwhelmed or anxious​

  • “School makes me feel really anxious, especially in the morning.”

  • “When I think about going to school, my stomach hurts and I feel panicked.”

  • “I get overwhelmed by everything that’s expected of me.”

  • “I worry about failing or doing something wrong in class.”

  • “Sometimes my anxiety is so strong that I just can’t get out the door.”

Difficulty managing stress and emotions​

  • “When I’m stressed, it’s hard for me to focus on school.”

  • “My emotions get really intense and I don’t know how to handle them.”

  • “I feel exhausted all the time and school feels like too much.”

  • “I feel like I’m barely keeping up and it’s overwhelming.”

Academic challenges​

  • “I don’t understand the work and I feel embarrassed asking for help.”

  • “I feel like I’m always behind everyone else.”

  • “When assignments pile up, I don’t know where to start.”

  • “Sometimes I just stare at the work and my mind goes blank.”

  • “I feel like the school system isn’t built for the way my brain works.”

Bullying or peer difficulties​

  • “I don’t feel safe around some of the other students.”

  • “I get bullied and it makes me not want to go to school.”

  • “I feel like I don’t belong at school.”

  • “I’m scared people will judge or laugh at me.”

  • “It’s hard to go somewhere every day where you feel left out.”

Lack of belonging or connection​

  • “I feel invisible at school.”

  • “I don’t feel like anyone notices when I’m struggling.”

  • “I wish there was an adult at school I could talk to.”

  • “School doesn’t feel like a place where I belong.”

  • “I feel like nobody understands what I’m going through.”

Mental health struggles​

  • “Some days my mental health makes it hard just to get out of bed.”

  • “I feel really depressed and school feels pointless.”

  • “My brain feels foggy and it’s hard to concentrate.”

  • “When I’m having a bad mental health day, everything at school feels impossible.”

Sensory or environmental challenges​

  • “The noise and crowds at school are overwhelming for me.”

  • “Classrooms can feel chaotic and it’s hard for me to focus.”

  • “Transitions between classes are stressful.”

  • “Being around so many people drains my energy.”

Family or life stress​

  • “There’s a lot going on at home and it’s hard to focus on school.”

  • “Sometimes I have responsibilities at home that make school harder.”

  • “I’m dealing with things in my life that make it hard to concentrate.”

Feeling misunderstood or unsupported​

  • “People think I’m lazy, but I’m actually struggling.”

  • “When teachers say I’m not trying, it makes me feel worse.”

  • “I want to succeed, but I need support.”

  • “Sometimes it feels like the system is blaming me instead of helping me.”

Hope and desire to succeed​

  • “I actually want to be at school, but it’s really hard.”

  • “I wish school worked differently for students like me.”

  • “If I had the right support, I think I could do better.”

  • “I want to learn, I just need help managing everything.”

These kinds of statements reflect an important point: students experiencing attendance challenges often want to attend school but face barriers related to mental health, belonging, learning needs, or life circumstances rather than a lack of motivation.