It hit me right about the time I realized that I had run out the door with my homework still on the printer again-my schedule is way too busy.

From the minute I wake up by hitting the snooze button multiple times, to the time I fall asleep to a Friends re-run while supposedly studying, I am constantly trying to keep up with my ever-growing to-do list.

Unfortunately, this is the case for many students these days. Between work, school, homework, studying and extra-curricular activities, we are bogged down with more on our plates than we can often handle.

We are pressured by this fast-paced society where getting the most done in the least amount of time is the standard.

The same society in which a two minute wait in a drive-thru is unacceptable and if a computer should take longer than ten seconds to load anything, the only possible solution is to begin clicking the mouse randomly in anticipation.

Today, everyone strives for efficiency. We are expected to be as efficient as possible in school, at work, at home, and everywhere.

Efficiency is defined by Dictionary.com as “performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort.”

What exactly is a waste of time? If you are not working, going to school, studying, or building up your resume with extra-curricular activities, are you wasting time?

No. Actually, I find that we often waste a lot of time by keeping ourselves constantly doing these things. We will never get that time back.

We need time to ourselves, time for our families, and time for our friends. Taking a few hours a day for these things is not time wasted.

I am not saying that we should all sit out front on our rocking chairs and porch swings all evening and count the stars, I just think we ought to spend more time relaxing and enjoying life rather than always trying to do five things at once.

Be honest with yourself. You know how much your schedule can handle. Don’t over-exert yourself to the point of near sleepless nights and caffeine-powered days.

This lifestyle will not only reflect negatively on your social life but in your studies and your job as well. How can we actually perform in the best possible manner while constantly running on fumes?

In a time where we are all “quantity over quality” minded, I challenge you to asses the mess of your schedule and ask yourself how much you can do while performing your best and still having some time left over for yourself.

When we find that happy-medium in our schedule, our lives will be less stressful and more enjoyable. Why take five classes and work full time if we can’t put one hundred percent into any of it?

Next time you find yourself driving to school while studying and eating breakfast on the go, take a minute to figure out what you can cut out of your busy schedule.

Believe me, it won’t be a waste of your time.