pressure is real.

I'm feeling incredibly anxious and scared. I'm in my secondary school years, and I feel like I'm falling behind academically. I've participated in Olympiads and math/science competitions, but I only managed to get bronze medals and honourable mentions. I need to get into a good university, but I'm not sure what to do. I'm stressed about excelling at something, boosting my portfolio, and networking with professors and professionals. I even feel pressured to create passion projects that I'm not passionate about just to stand out.

During Chinese New Year this year, my relatives pressured me to pursue everything academic to keep my options open—triple science and Higher Chinese, even though I have little interest in the language and in physics. They compared me to their academically gifted children who are always studious, attend elite schools, and are at the top of their classes. These cousins, too, have started numerous passion projects to enhance their portfolios, even when they have little interest in them. They're not just aiming for NUS; they're aiming for high Ivy Leagues like Harvard, Yale, and Oxford. Their standard is just.. different.

I recently came across a girl from a prestigious junior college who has multiple passion projects, including a non-profit organization, articles on politics, journalism, international law, and philosophy. She even started a project called "Youth Speak" and a podcast. She's not alone—many others (I personally know of people) are doing similar things, like chairing the United Nations Security Council in Model UN simulations and more.

It's all so competitive, and I know people might say I have plenty of time, but I feel like I need to act now to have a better chance.The girl I mentioned was even excused from school to go to the UK to collect a prize and attend a symposium for research she competed in and won. How do I keep up? I might just off it.