As I write this piece, I have about ten other things I could be doing.

In other words, ten other things I have to do with not nearly enough time left in the semester to do them. I have a total of nine pages of writing left to do. I have two performances around the corner. I have a five-foot-tall platform that I built sitting in my room needing paint. I have two exams and two presentations remaining. In conclusion, there is no rest to be had in the next two weeks.

For all you students reading this, I know you're in the same boat. I know we're all stressed to the point of numbness, but I have a morsel of wisdom to share with you if only you'll listen. This is not about you. It is not about me. We sit in classes for hours and we write pages of papers but remember, your degree will not go to the grave with you. I am working just as diligently as you are to achieve said degree, but in the end it is not the be all and end all.

Education is essential, but a few numbers and letters on a transcript are not what amount to knowledge.

School is not the end of the world.

The end of the world is every brilliant autumn tree. It is that perfect ray of sunshine that illuminates floating dust. It is that person's eyes which you think are just so mesmerizing. Sure, what your parents preached was right: you have to make money to survive in this world. But you also have to love. Don't dedicate yourself only to learning Adam Smith's theories on commerce. Learn what the trees have to say. Learn what small things make your mother laugh. Learn how to rest.

I urge you this week, my fellow classmates, to excel through the end of this semester, but most importantly, to remember that there is more out there and it's hidden just beneath those stacks of books.