Opinion By J1 Reporter Emily Ortmeier

There is no denying that completing homework is an important habit students should prioritize if they want to be successful in school. However, when students sacrifice their sleep to finish an assignment, I believe prioritizing homework over sleep is more harmful to students’ lives.

An insufficient amount of sleep leads to a lack of retention and a decline in focus. Not only will students struggle to pay attention during class and not retain information during the school day, but their mental health will decline. Students will feel tired all the time, will experience mood swings, and could even fall into depression.

When this habit continuously compounds on itself, feeling exhausted and stressed will begin to affect their academic performance. Eventually, it won’t matter how well students complete their work because they will still face consequences. They won’t score as well as they used to on tests and quizzes, and eventually, their grades will drop.

Don’t forget to consider your mental health when you choose to procrastinate because you will always feel the consequences. And in this case, the consequences are worse than the one I-block you could be assigned.

Marian is hard; there is no denying that, but as students, we should prioritize the habits that lead to long-term success. The best way to avoid burning yourself out is by working on your homework right when you get home, and not late at night.

But if you find yourself with a list of incomplete assignments due tomorrow, set an alarm for early in the morning and complete them then. Waking up early is far more manageable than working late into the night. Sleeping for four to five hours is not a habit we can keep up forever; eventually, we will get burnt out and crash.

So put your iPad down, climb into bed, and give yourself the rest you deserve.