When approaching any situation in college, whether it’s a project, party, or even a relationship, there are three things that must be kept in mind. These are the things that no student can be without, but never seem to have the right amount of. All three are essential, but, inevitably, the stress of college life will catch up to you, forcing you to prioritize parts of your life. Now, here are your three options when entering college. Think through them carefully, as you will only be able to pick two. (I suppose you could try for all three, but then you’d either fail at all of them or be a god among students.)

1.Grades:

Perhaps a bit obvious, but this is what keeps you in college. If these get too low, you’re kicked right out of the university, no matter how well you were doing in the other categories. This will require a significant portion of your time, as will all the others, but it is highly recommended to prioritize grades along with whatever else you choose. Grades open up more doors than most other options — scholarships, grad school, etc. While it is true that “C’s get degrees”, it is always a good idea to have these as high as possible. It predisposes teachers to like you, which can be of more help than you think, and if you want to be a jerk, you can show off your report card. Beyond staying in school and making your parents proud, this is the one that makes college worth it — what you can use to prove to yourself that this has all been worth it.

2. Friends:

This is the only other thing besides grades that can open doors for you at college. (I’m leaving out money, because let’s face it, you’re going to college, so you’re basically broke). The people that you meet can provide you with new opportunities, from parties to tutoring, if you cozy up to the smart ones. They are a great resource to have because many of them are going through the same problems in school as you are. They all struggle with the choices between these three, but they can provide you with the enjoyment and relaxation that is required after pushing yourself to get those grades you’ll need to keep seeing them. Without friends, yes it’s possible to make it through college, but you’ll be a slave to your work and schedule and unless you enjoy that sort of thing, you’ll find your college years, which are supposed to be the best of your life, supremely disappointing.

3. Sleep:

This is the granddaddy of all the choices — more important than grades or friends is your ability to function. Without proper sleep, you’ll find your grades begin to suffer and you become easily angry, which will push away your friends. Some students will try to convince themselves that they only need four or five hours of sleep and a caffeine boost. Bull. Yes, you may be able to function on that system, but you’ll be doing serious damage to yourself. Your body will start to weaken under the stress, your immune system will disappear, and you’ll find that life is miserable all the time. If you’re not getting at least six and half hours of sleep, you’re basically just taking a nap, which feels restful, but does your body as much good as a bandage does a broken leg. The sleep must be regular as well, not starving yourself during the week and making up for it on the weekends. A sleep schedule, if you will, is necessary, worked in among the time with friends and your school work.

See what I mean? All three of these are necessary to a college student, but no matter what you do, you’ll only ever be able to focus on two at a time. You can shift your focus as much as you like, prioritize friends and sleep once your work is taken care of, grades and sleep if too much time with your friends is harming them, grades and friends if you’re a vampire, it can all work out, somehow. It’s an acquired skill, just like anything in life. So, which will you choose?