As the semester progresses, we have fallen into the post-midterms rut. We are bored with our classes and most of our As have slipped to Bs, or Bs to Cs. It is increasingly difficult to make it to your lecture or get out of bed before noon, except for game day. At what point do we ask ourselves, “Are we really learning anything we are listening to in class? Or are we just getting by until winter break?”     

It is no secret that it is hard to balance life as a college student with classes, Greek life, a job, student organizations, and a social life. All while we just want to lay in bed and binge watch Netflix. The pressure college kids, even high school kids, feel in this generation is obvious from our lack of interest to learn something, but rather to do well in a class. We go to any lengths to achieve the highest possible grades. We will pull all-nighters, drink ample amounts of caffeine, cheat, and take unprescribed ADD pills. 

Some studies have found that around 30 percent of college students take pills, like Adderall, to help them study for classes. Most students, regardless if they take it or not, don’t think it is a form of cheating or that it is harmful to your body. We, as college students, care more about performing well in school than for our own physical well-being.       

Since the days of senior year -- applying to colleges and taking the ACT/SAT -- we have felt the great pressure of living up to the high expectations. Maybe the high expectations we believe in aren’t really from our parents or the real world; maybe we place them on ourselves. Has our generation become too obsessed with competition and being perfect?     

As enrollment in colleges has increased, so have the visits in the counseling centers. Stress in college students is at an all time high. The ways we tend to deal with stress are not healthy, either: binge drinking alcohol, binge eating, and excessive sleep.     

Whether or not we are amplifying the stress we put on ourselves, the education system needs to take a look at the expectations they hold for college students. As I write this column at 1 a.m., after finishing hours of homework, I can’t help but ask myself, “Is college still worth it?”