At present, the heavy academic workload of middle school students is a common problem, which is still questioned by parents, concerned by the government, and hotly debated by society. This paper summarizes the following eight aspects: the difficult content of subject courses, excessive class hours, heavy homework burden, complicated exams, overwhelming study materials, fierce subject competition, prevalent off-campus tutoring, and poor physical and mental health. Recognizing these problems can help to optimize the education and teaching environment and achieve a sustainable enrollment rate.