Once more, the time of finals is upon us. I don't know about everyone else, but finals never seem to trudge along the line of acceptable. For me, there are only two sides to the final's coin: horrendously busy or ridiculously easy. However, more times than not, I end up with a week full of caffeine and depleted of a full night's rest. This is a common trend each semester and I am not the only one to live this way. The week of finals is usually one filled with stress and work that rises up to my eyeballs. I spend days counting down the amount of work I have left to do and anticipate the minute I am able to shove aside all my work for a well-deserved summer break.

However, one should not look at the end of finals as the only "break" one should receive during this time.

Yes, finals are definitely a time to buckle down and prioritize what work needs to be done for every class. Finals are a time to reevaluate one's work ethic and decide what needs to be done in order to maintain or earn a certain grade. Finals are a time of late night studies and coffee runs. Finals are a time of hard work and dedication, focusing one's attention on one's studies until the week is over. Finals, in other words, are usually spent devoted to school work and only school work.

I will not deny this fact and say that focusing on school work is absolute garbage. If I did, I would be one of the biggest hypocrites in the world. School work is important and works as a foundation for achieving one's diploma which is only a stepping stone for any given college student's future career. The importance of maintaining one's standing at Clemson or any given university should not be denied or undermined. However, despite this concept, it is important that we both prioritize our school work and prioritize ourselves.

In other words, it is okay if you take a break.

Working hard and long on a project is good and provides you with invaluable moments of productivity, but one should remember that our focus and brain power are smaller machines in the bigger mechanism of our bodies. Just like any machine, there needs to be a time set aside for cooling down or resting. If you work a machine too hard or too long, it will get worn down over time and break. Personally, I know I have studied so hard to the point where my eyes burn and my thoughts become muddled. I knew that my brain and focus needed cooling down period and it is important that others recognize this fact as well.

After all, though a machine-based metaphor was used to describe our working abilities, it is important to remember that we are not machines. We are people and as people, we desire moments of rest and reprieve from strenuous or stressful activity. One simply can't just work themselves to a point of exhaustion and expect to be completely productive. Sometimes, we just need to take a step away from it all and recharge from the countless amount of work or stress.

Though some people or professors will tell you to work night and day to finish an assignment, it is important to remember that it is okay to take a break. You aren't lazy or selfish for desiring a bit of free time or a break from the long essays or projects that have clogged up your exam week. School work may be important to your college career, but your wellbeing is important to your longevity. Make sure that you take care of yourself and your wellbeing before you take care of any and all upcoming assignments.