The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
Two of our section editors competed this week for who could have bigger under-eye bags from lack of sleep. They are living the college reality of sleep deprivation and mounds of work.
Many of us experience sleepless nights to finish papers or study for exams. We are expected to be students, hold jobs, and deal with personal commitments, leaving little time to relax, recuperate and stay healthy. 
As technology advances and multitasking becomes second nature, we must work longer hours and be more productive.
We’re supposed to be busy, so we fill our schedules and create long to-do lists. Pretty soon, we feel like we don’t have time for anything.
I feel this pressure daily. I need to be the best college student, editor, restaurant server, girlfriend, family member, friend, and the best me. It’s overwhelming to balance it all and still set aside time to sleep, eat and breathe.
So why, as college students, do we need to be busier than our peers and subsequently point that out?
For some reason, unhealthy, jam-packed schedules are brag-worthy. I have had countless busy fights, as the editorial board calls them, with other students about who has more to do with the least amount of time to do it.
In these conversations, I hesitate to say I watched a movie or had lunch with a friend because I fear someone will counter my attempt to relax by simply saying they don’t have time for that.
As a result of busy fights, I’m making a conscious effort to eliminate this phrase from my vocabulary. I don’t want to say I can’t do something because I have no time.
In reality, I have time for everything, but I prioritize. I swap Netflix binging for an eight-hour work shift or an extra few hours to finish homework.
As students working toward a degree, we need to recognize that everyone has different priorities and works at different paces. Being busier isn’t always enviable, and there’s no need to one-up each other.
Grace Ebert
Editor-in-Chief
geber176@uwsp.edu
