April is perhaps the busiest time of the year at Scripps. In addition to making housing decisions, choosing classes for the Fall, and making summer plans, academics are picking up and simultaneously winding down.

(Me thinking about everything I have to do between now and finals)

With so much going on in April, it can be tricky to get through everything on our daily lists and still make time for ourselves and our friends. Sometimes, it’s necessary to cancel a lunch and dinner plans to study for exams, or skip a movie night with friends to finish up a big essay. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that: After all, we’re at Scripps first and foremost for the education.

But is it possible to spend too much time studying, or devoting time to extracurriculars? At what point does endless cramming become detrimental not only to our learning, but also to our relationships and health?

I was in this position last semester. Between completing four difficult and time-intensive courses, serving as a social event planner for my singing group, and working as a newspaper editor, I felt completely overbooked. Instead of dropping an extracurricular or working with teachers to manage my workload, I coped by cutting down on my time with friends. Instead of grabbing lunch and dinner with friends, I spent every meal editing articles and sending emails to writers and the paper’s management team, and didn’t have the stamina to see my friends outside of the classroom or even on the weekends.

Though I loved working for the paper and wanted to dedicate as much time and attention as possible to fulfilling my duties as editor, I could feel myself slipping academically and socially. I spent most of that semester on my phone and laptop, constantly checking emails to communicate with the team at the paper. I focused all my attention on improving the content that I’d sometimes run out of time to complete my school work. Eventually, I became so invested in the position that I sometimes forgot about class readings and assignments altogether. As my energy levels plummeted, I could feel grades begin to slip. I constantly craved sleep and rest, and knew I wasn’t putting my best foot forward in either my academics or the paper.

Two months into the semester, my friends wanted me to grab dinner with them. I was looking forward to spending some quality-time with my best friends: I’d become so isolated by my work, and had hardly had a chance to catch up with them. At the dinner, my friends expressed concerns over my work for the paper. I knew that they were right: I’d spread myself so thin that I wasn’t enjoying the work anymore. At that moment, I realized that I wasn’t benefiting from working so relentlessly.

At the end of the semester, I decided I needed to make a change going forward with the new year. I gave up my editorial position, vowing to make more time for myself and my school work. And I must admit: I’ve become a smarter and more energized student, friend, and person by allotting myself some down-time. I’ve made the most of the extra time, not only to complete homework and catch up with friends, but also to take care of myself.

Through this experience, I discovered that we don’t always need to be overbooked or insanely busy to be content. By taking a little time away from school, we can balance our time spent on academics, with loved ones, and on our own. Remember to make some time for you during these last couple of weeks. I promise you won’t regret it! I’ve found that in practicing this balance, I’ve not only become a more productive student; more importantly, I’ve become a happier one.