This past weekend, I have been studying like crazy for an exam in one of my hardest classes. I took this exam on Monday, but ever since Wednesday of the week before, I have been studying all day and staying up really late at night just to make sure I understand that one problem. I wasn’t running on much sleep and a lot of my other assignments were falling to the back of my mind. By the time Sunday night rolled around, I had enough, but I kept going. At 1:30 am, I went back to my room to find my roommate still awake. She looked at me and said “You look awful. I’m not trying to be mean, but you look exhausted.” She was right, I was. Completely exhausted. I looked at her and had a small breakdown, realizing then and there that I hadn’t given myself a single break over the past 5 days. I skipped the gym and the occasional meal just to practice more. I got maybe 5 hours of sleep each night and my body was taking a toll. Nothing good was coming out of studying like this.
Thinking back on it, I was crazy for doing that. Of course exams are important, but your personal health is more important. Somehow, I let that slip my mind. My face was breaking out and I had a constant headache. After the exam, I called my dad and immediately started crying. I wasn’t sad, my body was just releasing all of the tension I had been holding for the past week, unnecessary tension that could have been prevented.
Making sure I got enough sleep was not my number one priority this week and I regret it. I was so tired all the time. My one friend once told me that when she studies, she doesn’t continue past 11 at night. She said that if she doesn’t comprehend something by 10:45, then she’s not going to get it by 11. And even if she does comprehend it, it most likely won’t still be in her brain by the next morning. You are better off to go to sleep and wake earlier. Also, don’t stay studying for one thing for hours on end. Your brain stops retaining information after a certain amount of time. Take an hour to watch an episode of your favorite tv show or to get a quick nap in. When you take breaks, it’s better that you don’t stare at your phone for long periods of time, this keeps your brain stimulated, which is the opposite of what you want it to be. I realized that I hadn’t even given myself a half an hour of peace and no work. This is not how someone should go about their studies.
Now I know that I shouldn’t have studied in that way. Sure, I stay up late, but I never put my own health of the backburner. The most important thing that I realized is that you are not allowed to feel guilty for taking breaks. That was my issue. I was looking at people studying, and I would think that I had to keep going because they were. I felt like I was slacking off if I took breaks, when, they would’ve been good for me. Don’t disregard the chance to go outside in the nice weather with your friends for a little but because you have homework. You need to take time for yourself and your brain. It will help you in the end.
Good Luck!