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Holy Cross | Life > Academics

The Trifecta

Berit Rose Student Contributor, College of the Holy Cross
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Holy Cross chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

In my psychology class, we talked about how as college students, we are traditionally faced with the challenge of prioritizing certain aspects of college life over others. In particular, we talked about having an active social life, having good grades, and getting enough sleep, and how we can only really choose 2 out of the 3 of those. I thought about my own choices and came to the conclusion that with enough discipline, you can have all 3. 

My grades are important for my future, my friends are important to my well being, and my sleep is important to my health, so I can’t really eliminate one of them from my life. Here are some ways I have been able to balance these components in order to live a productive, happy, and healthy life. To start, I like to give myself a strict “lock-in” period. From 9-5 everyday, I try my best not to be distracted and get my work done. Then after that, I eat with my friends and study after dinner with them. Although that isn’t the most effective way of completing my assignments, it allows the work to seem less daunting, as I know I’m not alone in struggling with academics. Essentially, it provides an opportunity for me and my friends to trauma bond over our midterms, essays, and complicated equations. In addition, forcing myself to lock in during the day allows me to go to sleep at a reasonable time. You never realize how important sleep is until you are deprived of it, and for your sake, I hope you never are in the position where you’re cramming for a final, running on 3 hours of sleep and 2 Red Bulls. 

For the weekend, depending on how much stuff I need to do, I have a similar format for productiveness, but less rigid. I give myself a few hours over the course of the weekend to get done what I need to do, and try to decompress with my friends the rest of the time. I allow myself to sleep in later so I can still go out, and giving myself this break is like a reward for working so hard during the week. 

With all that being said, don’t let the importance of one of these aspects undermine the others, because in my opinion, you will live the most fulfilling life by balancing all 3 in moderation. 

Berit Rose

Holy Cross '26

Hi! My first name is Mary but I go by my middle name which is Berit. I am from Bedford, NY, where I graduated from Fox Lane High School. In high school, I played soccer and flag football, and was a captain for both teams. I am now a freshman at College of the Holy Cross where I plan to either major in Psychology or Political Science.
I became a certified New York State Firefighter in 2024 and have been volunteering at my local department since 2021. As both the youngest and one of only 4 girls in my class, I learned how to carry myself with confidence and determination in professional settings. I became head of the department's recruit program, where I would oversee all the other youth recruits and would help organize events for the firehouse, often times involving my town's community.
I also interned at the Westchester County Board of Legislators at the end of my senior year, where I wrote numerous proclamations and pieces for the weekly newsletter in addition to editing all E-blasts and other write-ups. I learned a lot about local government, but more importantly, improved my writing and editing skills.
I am so excited to become more involved with Her Campus and am looking forward to this year!