By Kalli Colacino
Opinions Editor
Now more than ever, there is substantial pressure on students to get good grades, make money and spend time with family. The list goes on.
Each semester, it seems that more and more students are jeopardizing their physical and mental health to ace an exam or finish a project.
When I want to get some work done without distraction, I walk on over to the library. While I’m there, I always see students working vigorously on whatever project they were assigned in class the day before. Hours and hours go by, aggravated faces come and go and the stress in the air is almost tangible. Then, I realize that I have been sitting at a table doing the exact same thing: stressing out.
The endless amount of work and studying that goes into passing a class is exhausting, and students are not appreciated enough for their hard work.
No matter what grade you receive in a class, how bad you did on a test or how many homework assignments you didn’t get the chance to complete, you should be proud of yourself. Now, I’m not saying that skipping homework assignments and not studying for a test is a good idea, but physical and mental health should always come first. Don’t undervalue your achievements, and don’t let anyone else do it either. For the three semesters that I’ve been a student at the College, I’ve found that if I take care of myself first, I’ll be more prepared to face whatever task that I have to conquer next.
The next time you’re at the library, take that extra break and get the iced coffee that you’ve been craving all day (even if it means waiting in a 15-minute library cafe line) and remember to breathe. We are all too stressed about what life throws at us that we forget to take care of ourselves. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Instead, be proud of how far you’ve come.
