Bretton Cole
Reporter
The challenge of managing a busy schedule isn’t a new one, and college students have a particularly difficult time keeping up with their studies, working, and getting enough free time to maintain health.
Taking on several responsibilities at a young age is taxing for students.
“Students wear many hats: student, employee, partner, mother or father, teammate,” said Julie Moss, an adjunct psychology professor for Crowder College and licensed professional counselor. She added, “All these roles take a significant amount of energy. The truth is, we can only give 100% on so many things.”
Students often find themselves in a tug of war – pulling grades and productivity at work against their physical and psychological health. They often don’t realize how much their abilities are inhibited by their constant struggle of keeping a healthy balance in place.Reporter
The busyness of college students’ schedules normally forces something to give, and unfortunately, the most common part students lose out on is sleep. “Rest and relaxation are so important for students,” Moss confirmed, “Students must find time to recharge.”
However, for the typical college student working and going to school, that is not the case.
“Sometimes I consciously say to myself, ‘This is going to be a late night,’” said Christian Bynum, a Crowder freshman. He’s averaging about 5 hours of sleep each night, and admitted it was a little less at one point.
Bynum isn’t alone in his struggle. Many college students face the same daunting task of finding the time to balance their classes, work, and having time for themselves. Neglecting sleep to accomplish those things is dangerous, though.
Studies suggest that students who stay up late to prepare for an exam and forfeit sleep do worse. Losing sleep negatively affects the cognitive processes and hinders a student’s memory. Conversely, proper amounts of sleep strengthen memory.
Not only are students essentially forced to manage work and school simultaneously, our culture has developed an attitude toward busyness that can be unhealthy. “We are at a time where we love being busy – we brag about it,” said Moss. We have so many hats to wear that we sometimes forget to enjoy the journey.
While working during college has its benefits, it’s important students to not get overwhelmed by the load. “We need to prioritize what is important to us,” Moss advised. If school and work become too much, it’s time to make a change for a student’s wellbeing.
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