When you’re a college student, it is easy to get lost in academics. After all, you’re paying thousands upon thousands of dollars to earn a degree from that university. You have class lectures, tests, labs, essays, and who knows what else. It’s easy to spend hours lost in the library’s quiet section, or in line waiting for that next cup of coffee to keep you awake as you study into the night. College is hard, and so is the work. You want to do well, and earn high marks. The tricky thing about academia is that while your education is being obtained, life is happening. I’m guilty of putting work first, as I’m sure most people are. School is undoubtedly important. But the reality is, that other things are just as, if not more important, than receiving an A on a paper.

I guess, what I’m trying to say is: call your sister, or dad, or friend. Get coffee with your suite mate. Go for a drive, leave the library. Make memories that are worth remembering. There are always going to be tests to study for, essays to write, and labs to examine. But the reality is simple: you’re only in college for four years, and all four years should not be spent in the library. I’m not telling you to flunk out of school, or to party your way through college, because I don’t think that anyone should do that. We are all still paying tuition, and there is an immeasurable value to education. I am however, saying that there are more important things than academic achievements. Life is more important, living is more important.

So, when there comes a time to choose between studying for your test next week, or watching a movie with your best friend, it might not be the worst thing in the world to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Life is far too short to spend every waking minute worrying about school work.