As a student, I know the trials and tribulations of university life.

Balancing classes, work, extracurricular activities, studying, maintaining relationships and still finding time to sleep, it can all come to a bottleneck of epic proportions. The stress a student can endure as a result is enormous.

However, there are limits to what a person can endure.

As the piles of homework mount, as social lives dwindle, and as hours spent staring at textbooks or computer screens tick away, cracks can begin to emerge and the pressures on a student can come to a breaking point.

This is where a student has to make a critical decision: stick it out or sit it out?

The common bravado of American culture will nearly always tell the struggling individual to stick it out, that the stresses of the present will ultimately result in the development of a better, stronger person.

The idea is even venerated in American history. As the American Revolution naval fighter John Paul Jones saw his imminent defeat nearing at the hands of the British in 1779, did he surrender? No! He famously cried, “I have not yet begun to fight!”

However, pride does not quite suffice as a flotation device as your ship is sinking in flames.

It is comforting to imagine that the sweat and toil a person endures will ultimately result in grand awards, but this is not necessarily the case.

As more and more responsibilities and tasks are piled upon a student’s plate, there comes a point when he or she must take stock in their abilities and recognize the reality of their situation.

There are only so many hours in a day, so much sleep a student can miss, so many assignments a student can complete.

To deny these facts is foolish. For a student to believe he or she can continue to live in such a state of denial, taking on more courses, joining more activities and pushing sleep aside, is irrational and reckless.

There comes a point when a student must realize that spreading himself or herself thin will degrade the quality of their work, strain the strength of their relationships and place unhealthy stress on their mind.

At such a time, a student must put his or her pride aside and admit the fact that they are human. If doing so means dropping a class, quitting a job or leaving a club, students should not feel ashamed. Being able to analyze their personal situation and make the hard decision is a mark of integrity and self-realization.

So as the water begins to rise, as the task of keeping afloat seems impossible, students should not cling to their pride and hope for the best. They should be able to realize the hard facts, admit their fallibility and make the difficult decision to sit this one out.

Tim Deters is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]