As college students, we see no end to the constant, conflicting messages that make us question whether our personal lives are important or frivolous.

There's no better time than the present. Enjoy your life, don't take a single moment for granted, do everything you can, have no regrets. That's what matters.

Do your homework, or you won't get good grades or get into graduate school. Overcommit yourself now. If you're overwhelmed, you can always quit things later. Get a job, make money, get an internship, make a name for yourself, get into your career. That's what matters.

Quite often, we're too overwhelmed to even have time to think about what really matters most to each of us, let alone pay attention to our personal health. It's been proven time and time again that stress, poor eating habits, sleep deprivation and depression are undoubtedly siblings, and it has become clear that this miserable family loves the company of physical illnesses like the cold and the flu.

Here, the weight of the Elon experiences pulls us in multiple directions at once and it is often challenging to find a reasonable set of priorities and stick to it. Amid the confusion, we forget that our stress will only compound itself if we don't take a minute here or there for ourselves, and attendance policies can make it seem unwise, irresponsible or unfeasible to take a sick day or a much-needed Mental Health Monday. And our professors, while usually well-meaning and genuinely concerned, often unwittingly make it impossible to, in good conscience, take time off for any reason.

I laugh to myself every time I hear someone say, "Get some sleep."  Each class is different, but many professors will pile on the work without respect for students' other commitments, without understanding that there's only so much we can get done. It's frowned upon to admit there just weren't enough days in the week and to skip an assignment or turn something in late. But when a professor has an unexpected friend come to town or takes a sick day or finds that life outside of work is calling, there is no consequence for putting off grading papers or giving feedback on a project. A simple, half-hearted apology is all that is deemed necessary.

For students, all-nighters are unhealthily common and quietly expected. Every professor at this university has been in our shoes at least once, and many of them reference this as a deterrent to cheating, plagiarizing and procrastinating. But there's no book of rules on how to be a good student, no personal trainer for balancing academics with life, work, internships, sleep, health and friends.

The pressure is astounding. But then again, it's what we signed up for, right?