Xavier College Preparatory is known for graduating high-educated, well-rounded students, who have an intense academic drive, religious education, an extensive social life, a rigorous class schedule and great GPAs. It has been named one of the top five Catholic schools in the country and has received the Blue Ribbon Award three times since its founding. So, it’s quite obvious that Xavier is a challenging and invigorating environment. It’s a college preparatory environment, with a habitual amount of homework, quizzes, tests and projects.

But, with a college preparatory environment comes it challenges. Although Xavier is a lot of work and a full-night sleep can sometimes be sacrificed, the key to success is managing your time. Balancing seven classes that are constantly handing out assignments, quizzes and tests pushes students to prioritize homework and studying over Netflix and Instagram.

“Since colleges look at your grades from high school, you really have to perform highly, sacrificing the things you want to do over the things you have to do. It was like that when I was there, and now my little junior sister, Maeve McIntyre, is experiencing it,” Meghan McIntyre, 2001 graduate, said.

The drive required by college admissions and general preparedness for high school can only be augmented by one thing: sleep. Students learn that time is their biggest asset. But to balance time and be a well-rounded individual does mean that students should spend more time sleeping and relaxing.

So, catch up on sleep during the weekends. I know it’s easier said than done, but try to get all your assignments out of the way maybe Thursday or Friday and spend Saturday and Sunday hanging out with friends and family and relaxing. The constant cycle of stress your brain is in throughout the week is why we have weekends. Give your brain and body a well-needed rest, to reduce the amount of sickness, crabbiness and mental breakdowns that seem inevitable. Xavier provides clubs and activities such as yoga or spin class to get your mind off of your work. Take advantage of these and try to balance your time as much as possible.