“Whatever, I’ll just wing it,” has become the catchphrase of many students lately, and we’re not just saying this because we’re lazy.

Expectations for students have become particularly high on Long Island. In light of the recent recession, it has become all too clear that having a college education will make employment more stable. Consequently, many media outlets have reported that applications for colleges have increased markedly. In addition, many excellent school districts on Long Island have contributed to the creation of a highly competitive culture; Long Island students have grabbed top spots in the international Intel competition every year since 2006 according to Stonybrook University.

Good grades in school alone will no longer get students into a good college. We must prove that we are “well rounded,” which means, in addition to studying, we have to excel in many extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or volunteer work if we ever want to get into our dream schools.

Due to all of this pressure, I have come to believe that I need to look like the perfect student in the eyes of colleges.

However, in an ironic twist, the more I try to become perfect, the harder it becomes to meet my expectations. I don’t have enough time to put as much effort as I would like into everything that I do. Some days, among SAT prep, choir rehearsal and extra help, I don’t get a chance to get started on my homework until seven or eight o’clock in the evening. At that point, my energy has been sapped and I just can’t seem to think clearly enough to hand in my best work.

I realized the error in my ways when I read noted author Alfie Kohn’s opinion piece in the New York Times entitled, “Reconsider Attitudes About Success.” In this essay, Kohn argues that real learning is more valuable than “simply achieving.” He states that the current school systems focus too much on “achieving” rather than real learning. “Students suffer intellectually as well as psychologically because the pressure to succeed academically leaves little room for exploring ideas,” Kohn said.

That “room for exploring ideas” is crucial because that’s where students grow, not just intellectually, but emotionally; that is where we form our own personal identities and lay the foundation for future success. Students often burn-out because of the intense competition to succeed. Perhaps there is a way to reach our goals through which we’re kinder to ourselves. Students will have more room to explore if they are well rested and have more energy.

So how does one do that?

Common laws of physics explain that time and energy are alike in that both are limited. Unlike time, however, energy can be renewed. If we work to effectively utilize our energy in the day, we will be more successful in accomplishing our goals.

To start, the easiest way we can get more energy is to get more sleep, which is restorative to the body. This is actually easier said than done given the number of tasks for each day’s limited hours. There are times when I am up late studying and although I am falling asleep at my desk, I force myself to stay up, telling myself that by doing so, I’m bound to do well on the test. Consequently, because I am so tired, I cannot remember anything when I actually take the test; staying up to study proves counterproductive. When I am tempted to stay up again for another test, I force myself to go to bed, and get up early the next morning to study. I’ve found that this method is much more effective for retaining information and performing well on exams.

This principle of relaxing applies equally to extracurricular activities, not just exams. For example, instead of rushing to get homework done before a big track meet or rehearsal in that small amount of time before the event starts, those students should just take that time to relax. By doing so, they will be able to clear their heads and will most likely do better because they are calmer.

Furthermore, we can literally fuel ourselves by having healthy snacks throughout the day to renew our energy, thus improving our focus.

But, the most important thing that we can do to combat the pressure of being the perfect student is to realize that there really is no such thing as a “perfect student.” The moment that we stop working to make our resumes look more attractive and start working to make ourselves happier is when we will truly be the most successful.