“School Comes First”

How many times have family, friends, or other loved ones told us that? But how logical is it to truly be able to put all the other glories of life aside for our academic careers? How do we expect to develop lifelong valuable relationships with others if we do nothing other than academic work? Without applying any emotions or practicality to that statement, it makes some sense. Academic success in high school translates to higher education opportunities For several professions, your academic success truly does determine your professional success, which honestly sounds terrifying. Your transcript for a lot of paths in life will always be there haunting you.

All of that being said, what kind of beings would we become if we devote 100% of our energy and attention to school? We would have no charisma, no compassion, no empathy, but we would be very smart! However, in my opinion, while academic growth is imperative to our maturation in life, I think that equally, if not more so, our experiences with life itself, not just the textbooks that try to teach us about it, are crucial.

Now, while I am by no means suggesting never picking up a textbook or doing your homework again, don't pass up the incredible opportunities life presents us with simply because you are so focused on getting that A. Go out with friends, let yourself be in a relationship, have a late night watching movies instead of studying every once and awhile, sleep in, go on a hike or road trip, or go for that position you've been dying to apply for but are scared of the consequences it might have on your GPA. I really get frustrated when people (myself included) say that they wish they could do something but they don't have time to do that something, whether academic or other, because you and only you are the one who decides exactly what to do with every twenty-four hours in your day. So if you decide to miss out on all that life can offer you to have your nose in the books every hour of everyday, realize it isn't the situation that you may be in with pressures to uphold a certain GPA or to get through a tough class that is making you miss out, its purely your decision. This is a really hard truth to hear, but it is important to realize so that you can change it accordingly; if you do nothing but hit the books, maybe put them down for a bit, and if you do everything but hit the books, maybe pick a book up.

Balance is the key to success. Your head will turn into mush or explode if you do nothing but study. Your head will turn into mush and your GPA will explode if you do everything but study. As a Pre-Med student, I know as well as anyone the terror and anxiety about every impact to your GPA because the killer (and super unfortunate) fact is, grades really do matter. But if you balance your workload with your life, then you get the best of both worlds. As a plus, I can almost guarantee you that with your time management emphasis on your activities at hand, in order to participate in life’s experiences, you will actually do much better on your work than originally. Study breaks are good for us, especially if they include something fun. So put the books down and enjoy your life and all it has to offer you, just remember to come back to your studies later on.