It's the most wonderful time of the year...finals! Every college student's favorite time of the year where we all come together and endure all-nighters, accumulative study guides, and what feels like never-ending stress. All within the time period of three weeks...what a time!

Yes, getting a good grade on your final exams and passing your classes is always important. It's never a bad thing to try your best and strive to do well. BUT it becomes a problem when other parts of your life, especially your health, begin to suffer because of your grades.

College kids nowadays undergo so much stress that it becomes "normal" to us.

We forget to get a decent amount of sleep, or we get so overwhelmed that we constantly feel like we're having a panic attack. We use the excuse that "It's all part of being a college student." We run ourselves to the point where we could collapse at any second, and that's not okay. The A is important, but it's not worth more than your wellbeing. I was once given some great advice about school and taking care of yourself.

This person told me that "getting A's are fantastic and something to always strive for, but if it costs you your sanity...take the C."

Just to be clear, I am not saying that trying to get A's is a bad thing. I am just explaining that C's are just as good, if not better, if it's better for your mental sanity. This was something I experienced early on in high school, and I learned what I needed to prioritize.

At my high school, common small talk was basically a competition on who was deteriorating more. I would overhear two girls talking and the conversation went like this: "I am soo tired! I literally went to bed last night at 2 a.m. because I was studying for my anatomy test." Then her friend would laugh in a condescending tone and reply, "Oh, you think you're tired?! I went to bed at 4 a.m. after studying for my pre-calc quiz, editing my English paper, and writing a whole discussion board post."

It was a competition to prove who was the most sleep-deprived but still thriving academically.

People would sit and watch their laptops and phones, continuously refreshing the page, waiting to see what they got on their latest test or paper. Then they would either scream in excitement when their all-nighters and constant stressing paid off, or there would be a serious depressive state that would last for an extended period of time when they didn't receive the grade they wanted. It was a vicious cycle that never ended and would only get worse.

This was when I realized that it's not worth it. The stress, the lack of sleep, the feeling of disappointment...none of it was worth it. I learned that school comes second to my health and needs. I needed to remember to take a break every once and a while and just take a nap. I had to learn that I should always try my best, but I have to accept my best for what it is. Pushing myself to the point of exhaustion was not the answer. I had to remember that putting myself first is the right thing to do and that it will benefit me in the end.

So to all the college kids that are studying, stressed and sleep deprived: take a break.

You worked so hard this whole semester, don't end it on a bad note. Go take a nap, go out with your friends, do anything that isn't school related. Enjoy the holiday season and decorate a gingerbread house or watch a Christmas movie! Take time for yourself during this overwhelming time of the year. Then once you're done your break, you will feel refreshed and ready to take on your finals. Always keep in mind that you should always come first.