Thanks to the STA schedule, every day of my life is now compartmentalized into convenient 40 minute blocks of time. Forty minutes from when I wake up until I arrive at school each morning, 40 minutes in each class and 40 minutes to get home each afternoon.

But don’t underestimate how much this schedule has affected my life.

I now challenge myself to see if I can complete certain tasks in 40 minutes. Whether it’s cleaning the kitchen, finishing a geometry assignment, painting my nails or taking a nap, I feel as if each day of my life has been compartmentalized into 40 minute boxes of time.

I am impressed with what I can accomplish in 40 minutes these days. I can bake a sheet cake for an advisory party, watch what would normally be a 60 minute show on TiVo and study for a test each in 40 minutes.

Most of the time, this schedule keeps me focused and busy, but lately, I have noticed it is not nearly as beneficial as I had initially hoped. I am so obsessed with time at school that I end up fitting my personal life into similar blocks of time.

Instead of enjoying a 60 minute meal with my family, I begin fidgeting anxiously right around the 30 minute mark, and lose out on family time. Instead of taking a long walk outside to relax, I get on the treadmill in my dark basement and run for 20 minutes to exercise. When I could spend 10 minutes enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning, I usually gulp it down, scalding my throat in the process.

Obviously, it would be silly to blame STA’s scheduling for my hurried way of life, but I have finally realized that dividing up my life into chunks of time isn’t making me any happier, smarter or more prepared. When I hurry through life, squeezing out time for family, friends and myself into 40 minutes, I end up unhappy, rushed and tired.

To solve this situation, I will now leave STA scheduling at STA. When I walk off campus at 3:05, I will not look at the clock anxiously, counting out the 40 minutes until I am home. I will enjoy eating dinner with my family, instead of stuffing myself so I can run back upstairs to my homework. Hopefully, after I put the parts of my life back in the right places, I can stop feeling as if I am in a free whenever I relax.