PARK: To succeed in college, balancing our schedules is key
COLUMN: The Queue
We have finally made it. Weeks four and five of the semester are the turning point between keeping yourself busy and actually being busy. With midterms in full swing, the academic buildings and the libraries on all five campuses are pretty packed and so are our schedules.
I have found myself staring at a computer attempting to write up my next line of code or the next sentence of a paper I’ve put off for way too long. My usual go-to spots to study — the Academic Buildings, Alexander Library and our prized Starbucks on the College Avenue campus — have been bustling with students and not in a good way.
I like these particular spots because they have a good mix of students studying and students chatting. I stick to the first floor of Alexander Library due to its bright lighting and also because the higher floors get too quiet for me.
Lately, it seems everywhere I go and everyone I look at is busy with their nose in a book, iPad or laptop. I walked into the Starbucks on a Wednesday afternoon, and it was relatively silent. I saw fewer than five other people softly doing their work. If I wanted quiet, I could have just stayed home.
Students are often facing a certain pressure. Whether that be from their peers, their parents or themselves, there is pressure to perform well academically. Students pack their daily lives with activities, events and hard classes so we can set ourselves up for success as we leave New Brunswick after four years to whatever future career we have planned.
To hustle and grind constantly leads to burnout, a feeling most students get especially after hitting the first round of midterm exams. We have all been in the position of wondering if another hour of studying is really going to help or hurt our grades. But finding a balanced schedule is what really leads to success. More often than not, an hour of mindless studying is detrimental as we end up sacrificing something that is absolutely essential: sleep.
While I never really listen to my own advice, I like to believe that just an extra hour of sleep might help my concentration the following morning. With so many conflicting priorities, sacrificing sleep sometimes feels like the best option But is it? Between 70 to 96 percent of college students get fewer than 8 hours of sleep on weeknights. I cannot remember the last time I got 8 hours of sleep in general.
From juggling academics, athletics, extracurriculars and more, this is an unhealthy pattern most students follow. It is so harmful that people actually glorify this kind of lifestyle. It is practical and well accepted for students to walk into a room and say they got fewer than 5 hours of sleep the night prior.
The argument lies in not needing a full 8 hours of sleep — that is obvious. The argument here is to face the reality that being a short sleeper can harm your mental health and well-being. Sleep deprivation can affect your hormones and mood, your immune system and your brain.
For college students, we are young, and the toll of sleep deprivation on our body may not feel as impactful. Feeling irritable and tired for the whole rest of your day makes you lose focus.
Giving up sleep to accomplish other priorities is something most students can relate to. Then the aftermath of taking a post-work nap is simply, well, blissful. As college students, I am sure this is a routine that sounds much more familiar than one of a full 8 hours of restful sleep and three nutrient-packed meals.
But having an irregular sleep schedule is an unhealthy practice in college. It is best to remember that pulling an all-nighter the night before an exam is really not going to help and improve your grade. Academic performance and the amount of sleep a student gets are directly correlated.
When overworking yourself and thinking about what in your schedule needs to be prioritized, think about getting some sleep and fitting that into your schedule, too. Inadequate sleep is no excuse for not performing well in school or not being your best mentally and physically.
I too am a fan of the go-getter, girlboss mentality, and while losing sleep might seem like it is the only way to accomplish that, know you should put yourself first for your health and benefit.
Annabel Park is a sophomore Rutgers Business School sophomore majoring in marketing and minoring in health administration. Her column, "The Queue," runs on alternate Tuesdays.
*Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
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