Some students can do it all. They pull off good grades in the toughest classes while finding time to work, volunteer and hang out with friends, but experts on campus say these classic overachievers could be risking their long-term health.
"It's all about a good juggling game," said Matthew Schwartz, a senior linguistics major. Not to mention a business partner for Top Down Productions, LLC, a member of the American Translators Association, a university certified paralegal, nationally certified pharmacy technician, and a board member on a student life subcommittee.
According to Schwartz, it is all about time management skills. He believes as long as you are organized you can "conquer the world."
"My drive comes from knowing that one day I can tell a sick child in a hospital that everything will be OK in a language that he or she will be able to understand."
Schwartz also hopes that spending this coming summer in Tel-Aviv in an intensive Arabic program will help him to make a difference in the Middle East.
"My Arabic professor taught me that a major problem is that we don't listen to each other," Schwartz said. "My job as a translator is to listen, and if I can understand the Arabic language combined with my Hebrew I believe that I can make a difference."
Anthony Dakwar, a senior biomedical science major, is busy with medical research as well as the overwhelming pressure-filled medical school application process. This is why perfect grades are imperative; a failed exam or even a B can be a huge set back in his acceptance to medical school.
"These exams cannot be screwed up," Dakwar said. "If you get a B it can ruin your chances and it either means taking the course over or making up for it by doing a crazy amount of work."
With a brother who is a neurosurgeon and a sister who is a dentist, Dakwar often feels pressure to live up to their standards.
"It is an extremely (difficult) field so pressure comes from every angle," he said.
Dakwar is aware of the risks involved in letting stress affect his well-being.
"It's hard to devote any time at all to exercise or even sleep," he said. "Most people in my field are unhealthy and I don't want to be like that."
David Gilles-Thomas, associate director of counseling services, believes there are ways overachievers can prevent burn out.
"Students with a lot on their plate usually are carrying a lot of pressure to perform," Gilles-Thomas said. "It can be both a good and a bad thing. Stress management, diet and exercise are the first things to go."
He is most concerned about student's lack of sleep, because students then turn to energy drinks, caffeine pills or other unhealthy measures to stay awake.
"I saw an ad in the Student Union for an energy drink stating 'sleep is highly overrated,'" Gilles-Thomas said. "If you are not getting enough sleep everything else will fall apart."
Organization skills are essential for such hard working students, Gilles-Thomas said. This also involves making time for relaxation and stress release, which is just as important as studying for a major exam.
"It's all about prioritizing," Dakwar said. "You have to relax. You see a lot of kids in this field who live in the library and end up going crazy."
Dakwar's attitude is what will get him through the eight years of graduate work it will take him to get his medical degree.
For both Dakwar and Schwartz their time needs to be spent wisely. Long hours of studying are inescapable, but finding time to lose the daily planner, according to Dr. Gilles-Thomas, is what will keep success-driven people healthy.
According to Schwartz his busy schedule barely allows him time for himself, so he makes a point to dedicate one night a week to friends and fun.
"This can be a good and bad thing because it is hard to make time for everybody so I've organized a get together at my house every Thursday night," Schwartz said. "All my friends know about it and everyone is welcome."
Motivated students never seem satisfied when it comes to learning and achieving, but Gilles-Thomas reminds them that success is relative. In the meantime, he advises that these students listen to their bodies first and foremost.
"You have to know what works for you," he said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
