Random but...sleep vs. grades & homework??

[Mariah]

since everyone here is older than me and many of you have already completed college i just had to ask whether i should try to sleep more or not to sleep and get better grades.

well, i go to a governor's school for science and tech and it has a reputation for having sleep deprived students, e.g. me. basically i'm obsessive about grades. i usually get 4 to 0 hours of sleep during the week ush: because i spend so much time doing homework and studying for tests. i guess it's also because when i have group projects the work always gets put onto me and i'm up in to the wee hours of the morning doing someone else's work! it's just the way i am...some people get away with not doing homework past 11 but if i get a b+ for a quarter i can't help but cry because i've disappointed myself (i'm such a perfectionist :shame: ).

last week my crew coach (who's mean to me anyways) gave me grief about not sleeping and basically said "well grades only last until college but you'll be short forever". how am i supposed to feel about this?? i'm 5'7" :evil: i don't really consider myself short but apparently my coach (who is quite tall) thinks i am. i tried not to show it but what she says really hurts me because i don't do anything to her but she constantly tells me to stop talking or that i'm doing things wrong (not technique or anything...just in general)

basically my question is do grades like REALLY matter about getting into college?? and does not sleeping actually stunt your growth?

i want to go to princeton (i would need a scholarship) or some ivy league school. my gpa is currently a 4.0 and hopefully will be over a 4.2 by the time i graduate. next year will be worse...i'm going to have 4 to 5 ap classes next year and i only have 1 this year

i just need advice. am i killing myself for no reason????

p.s. sorry this was so long!! i must be the most stressed 15 year-old ever.

 

[ayla]

Hrm.. well, here's some advice from someone from a slightly different education system. I basically slacked through all of high school, I was in a special ed program (which required IQ and subject testing) and I really hated it, my parents were behind that one. My entrance average was.. shameful at best. And I stayed up all night doing nothing all the time, I was super sleep deprived through high school. And yes, lack of sleep probably does stunt your growth.. I am after all, 5'0 (booo!!).

But I still was accepted into a decent university, no free ride though. My grades in university are ridiculously good compared to high school and I sleep 7 hours every night, it's all good.

Since you're in a different situation though, I would probably try to work on the grades. Sleeping helps with memory though, so by not sleeping, you're robbing yourself of making sure you know what you learn. And it also places a lot of undue stress on your body, especially if you do sports. Get some more sleep, don't end up short like me !!

 

[wickedassin]

I think when you're "younger" you bounce back a little better from not getting enough sleep. I could function on less sleep when I was 21 than I can now (I'm now 31). BUT there's something about having a balanced life. You usually don't really appreciate that until you get older. But it's something to consider.... I think college admissions committees also like people with outside interests and not just a high GPA.

Good grades are important, but I hope you're not going overboard. You're still in HS and college can be a more stressful place. I wouldn't want you to get burnt out. And I hope you're not missing out on the "fun" parts of HS. This is a time in your life that you'll never have again. I can't give you a yes or no, black and white answer, but hopefully I've given you some things to think about so you can find the best answer for you.

 

[Mariah]

Hrm.. well, here's some advice from someone from a slightly different education system. I basically slacked through all of high school, I was in a special ed program (which required IQ and subject testing) and I really hated it, my parents were behind that one. My entrance average was.. shameful at best. And I stayed up all night doing nothing all the time, I was super sleep deprived through high school. And yes, lack of sleep probably does stunt your growth.. I am after all, 5'0 (booo!!).

But I still was accepted into a decent university, no free ride though. My grades in university are ridiculously good compared to high school and I sleep 7 hours every night, it's all good.

Since you're in a different situation though, I would probably try to work on the grades. Sleeping helps with memory though, so by not sleeping, you're robbing yourself of making sure you know what you learn. And it also places a lot of undue stress on your body, especially if you do sports. Get some more sleep, don't end up short like me !!

i'm actually fine with my height. i'd like maybe an inch or two more...that's it. i don't want to be ridiculously tall. i do actually do sports. i row and that consumes my life basically. i can't even manage to do my homework before 12 when i get home at 4:30 but once crew season starts i get home 8-8:30

 

[Mariah]

I think when you're "younger" you bounce back a little better from not getting enough sleep. I could function on less sleep when I was 21 than I can now (I'm now 31). BUT there's something about having a balanced life. You usually don't really appreciate that until you get older. But it's something to consider.... I think college admissions committees also like people with outside interests and not just a high GPA.

Good grades are important, but I hope you're not going overboard. You're still in HS and college can be a more stressful place. I wouldn't want you to get burnt out. And I hope you're not missing out on the "fun" parts of HS. This is a time in your life that you'll never have again. I can't give you a yes or no, black and white answer, but hopefully I've given you some things to think about so you can find the best answer for you.

i try to be a well rounded person. i play lacrosse and soccer and i basically try to row year-round. also, i'm a girl scout (looking to get my gold award) and am part of my class council...i was also thinking about doing an academic club, too...

 

[Irissy]

I remember I used to average about 4 hrs of sleep in HS and my grades were high; sleep way too much in undergrad but then I had an easy major (International Studies); and barely getting 2-3 hrs of sleep per day during law school. Basically, my sleeping schedule is total wacked and I'm known as the "night owl" or "vampire" in my family. I'm 5'3" so I think it did stunt my growth somewhat. :suspiciou

I think you should keep maintaining that 4.0 gpa of yours but try to catch up with your sleep on the weekends or take naps during the afternoon if you can. Some 15 min of power nap does your body good!! I learn that sometimes in order to be successful, you just have to sacrifice sleep somehow. As you get older, you'll realize that sleeping will actually be one of your favorite hobbies because we're all sleep-deprived somewhat. I can never get the recommended average of 8 hrs per night.

 

[wickedassin]

i try to be a well rounded person. i play lacrosse and soccer and i basically try to row year-round. also, i'm a girl scout (looking to get my gold award) and am part of my class council...i was also thinking about doing an academic club, too...

Ok, well don't stretch yourself too thin.... I think you've got enough stuff going on. Too little sleep isn't good for you--your brain does need it's rest to work well.

 

[Irissy]

i try to be a well rounded person. i play lacrosse and soccer and i basically try to row year-round. also, i'm a girl scout (looking to get my gold award) and am part of my class council...i was also thinking about doing an academic club, too...

You reminded me of my crazy HS cousin. She's a total gpa nut and have way too much extracurricular activities under her belt but we're all really proud of her. She averages about 2-3 hrs of sleep per day in HS and even though I know she's really tired both physically and spiritually, but it'll paid off when the college acceptance letters start to roll in.

 

[Mariah]

irissy- my sleep schedule is turned upside down! when i'm tired i come home after winter training or crew and take a long nap then get up at like midnight and do my homework...yeesh! i came home last thursday (we had friday off) and slept for 20 hours. it was a record! hmmm...i like the part about the acceptance letters . my friend who graduated last year is just like me but wayyyy smarter as in 1590 on the sat's, got the national merit scholarship, and is currently going to stanford!! :weird:

wickedassin- i'll try!

 

[bethany]

I'm 5'8.5" and sleep deprived in my last semester of college.
its funny because when I'm averaging less than 5 hours of sleep a night for more than a couple of nights, I tend to crave sleep and end up sleeping in my car, on a campus chair, at friends' houses, and during class.
I can survive all-nighters with the help of caffeine, but it DEFINITELY affects my performance.
and I've become much more slack than I used to be. for instance, I have a massive Flash project due on Monday. When am I planning to do it you ask? from 7pm Sunday night (after work) until 9 am Monday morning.
I slacked off worse last term than I ever had before. I skipped so many classes, several projects, turned stuff in late, and wrote papers 30 minutes before the due date. And I made 4 A's and a B when all was said and done. Needless to say, that was encouragement for this semester. My GPA is the high end of 3.7 and since I'm not aspiring to crazy status further education, that's good enough for me. I'd rather feel good and have as much fun as possible doing the school that I feel like doing than be exhausted all the time.


plus, I commute almost 2 hours a day. so being sleepy is physically dangerous. I vote for sleep.

 

[dk2504]

Mariah,
I was just like you in highschool...I had a 4.2 gpa and I participated in every single extracurricular activity offered at my school! I took 5 ap classes, 2 my junior year, and three my senior year. i went study crazy my junior year and got 5's on both a.p's. my senior year however, i slacked off...i still got A's, i just didnt really care for performing well on my A.P exams...and early acceptance into the NYU medical program didnt really motivate me LOL!
I will admit, A.P classes are an amazing help...im planning to graduate a year early from college because of all my A.P credits
BUTTTTT
when i look back on highschol now, the best part of it for me was my slacking off period...i.e senior year...what im trying to say is, you should give yourself a break at the end of highschool because it definately pays off...you will have a great time and also build on ammunition for college... (which is another story...because we have to learn to cope with B+'s at this stage!!)

Im sorry the post is so long, but I feel like I have to let you know that you should enjoy this time of your life because you will never get it back!! Good luck

---p.s in case you need s.a.t help...i would recommend the princeton review..they worked magic for me ---

 

[Swedie]

Mariah,
Im sorry the post is so long, but I feel like I have to let you know that you should enjoy this time of your life because you will never get it back!! Good luck

Ditto Mariah, you are a remarkable young lady (to sound like a gradma even though I'm just 22 ) and you are really prepping yourself for a good future. That's great! But at the same time, you need to have fun And get some sleep! I could never survive with less that 6 hours a night, even less when I was younger I'm a straight A student in college and I make sure I get enough sleep, all nighters aren't for me!

 

[heartfelt]

mariah,
i definitely think you need sleep! you won't be able to function if you don't get sleep. i'm in college and believe me, sleep is your best friend.

when i was in high school i was super busy. i took 7 or 8 (can't remember exactly haha) AP classes and i was the editor in chief of the yearbook. but i always made sure i slept. your health is definitely more important. but on the other hand college is super competitive so i suggest you pick one thing you're really passionate about and really go for it. when i was a freshman in hs i was in a million clubs and finally settled on yearbook. i eventually worked my way up to editor and i'm happy with the college i got into. now as for time management/sleep in college... that's a whole different story. hahaha. but then again, hs is much easier than college.

don't kill yourself! and good luck.

 

[Munchkyn]

I graduate this spring with my undergrad and I must say you should get some sleep! I had a 3.9 gpa in high school and I worked hard also and got into college easy. But what I noticed was that I worked so hard in high school, studied so much and didn't have that much fun that when I went to college I actually slacked a bit b/c I felt like I already got accepted and the pressure to get into college was over.

Right now, I am in the same situation as you though. I only get 4 hours of sleep a night b/c my class load is so heavy. I just don't have enough time! I think lack of sleep definitely decreases my performance. I had a quiz last Thursday at 8am and I did horrible b/c I pulled an all nighter finishing hwk for that class. When I took the quiz, I was so loaded with info and with no sleep and got confused and my head hurt. Yet I took a 2nd quiz in the class later with more sleep and did a lot better. I was able to think it through.

All in all, grades are important but you shouldn't miss sleep over it. You might be more motivated than me academically but once you get into a college you might be so stressed out that after you know you're accepted you start to unwind and not study as hard. My 2cents!

 

[vanilla_addict]

Hi Mariah.. I am 24.. graduated from college last year.. Killing your self at some point of life could end up with long term affects. Ex. I killed myself in high school as a result I slept first two years in college and ended up shocked half way through with my GPA.. It was too late to raise it.. But I studied hard and did extremely well in the years left for I’d feel self-satisfaction about myself when I graduate knowing that I did great all in all and forget about those horrible sleepy first two years.

So my advice is: Do study hard but don’t kill yourself, give everything its time.. And my really big advice is SLEEP well!!
My God when you don’t get enough sleep.. You’d end up doing a one hour task in three hours!! And with less accuracy!!

I remember sometimes in final exams.. If I haven’t finished studying that night.. I’d rather sleep and rest for I can do well and concentrate on the exam next morning.. rather than loose all what I studied just by over pressuring myself with exhaustion!

Wish you all the success and luck!

P.S.: I am a perfectionist and learned that I can still be but with more balance in life! << learned it the hard way as you can see!