As I was walking to class on Friday, I heard a variety of shocking, but not uncommon comments.

“I’m running on three hours of sleep. Don’t talk to me!” one sophomore exclaimed to her friend as they frantically ran past me, reviewing for a test.

“I only had four hours of sleep this entire week; I’m so glad it’s Friday,” another student shared with a group of classmates over lunch.

I, on the other hand, had 10 hours of sleep last night. I wouldn’t call myself lucky, as one of my friends jealously told me. Frankly, I was burnt out. I felt unmotivated to finish homework and was falling asleep in every single one of my classes this week. And, with my mom nagging at me about everything from grades to my Friday night plans, I truly felt uninspired. And so I slept.

I wanted to sleep away my stresses, from the panics derived from thinking about APs to the essence of junior year itself; I wanted to wake up feeling refreshed and energized, ready to combat the battles school instigates. Yet, that’s exactly what I didn’t do. I woke up in the same clothes I had wore earlier that day, feeling groggy and unaccomplished from simply not touching my backpack since I came home. I pushed the home button on my iPhone and the 6:13 a.m. in big bold numbers resurged those exact worries I hoped had escaped from me.

Freshman year, I promised myself this wasn’t going to happen. I had this preconceived notion that stress led to less sleep, which led to weight gain and pimple growth. For the sake of my skin and body, I knew I didn’t want to be stressed. And, while it’s safe to say that those outcomes haven’t surfaced themselves, the stress still lingered.

I even changed my phone lock screen to inspirational paper cards, reminding me that “I can do better” or that I am the lucky one, in hopes of energizing me to study like a student should.

After my unsatisfying 10-hour nap, in lieu of dutifully fulfilling the responsibilities of a student, I rummaged through the storage room and found old Christmas lights. On a whim, I hung them on my walls throughout my room and once I turned on the switch, I saw it.

My childhood dream of living in the big city, working at a well-paying job, and buying whatever I wanted to all flowed back to me. I couldn’t let a few bad test grades or a few rejection letters from summer programs take that away from me. I had to protect my dream.

The Christmas lights lighted something within me. The twinkles along my walls resemble the stars at night, and sometimes, stepping outside at night under the stars is relaxing, as if the stars are a sign of comfort and reassurance.

It’s difficult to sit here and tell you to be inspired and stay motivated since, trust me, it’s hard to look up when outcomes don’t result in your favor. But, you don’t devote 12 hours on a Saturday for a musical rehearsal or spend the entire weekend across the country at a debate tournament for nothing.

Everyone needs a little inspiration once in a while. Whether it is putting up some Christmas lights or stepping out into the brisk, cold air at 11 p.m. for a study break, protect your dreams.