NYU students have more than enough stress on their plates. We are expected to fit internships, jobs, a full course load, volunteer work and extracurricular activities within one schedule. We are driven and hardworking, desperately striving to stand out among the millions who call the city that never sleeps their home. We deserve time to enjoy the city and all it has to offer. But that does not mean we should go without sleep. Even though we are located in the heart of New York City, where nothing is ever quite done and no one ever stops, there is no need for students to have to burn themselves out every single time Friday night comes along.

To have the city as a campus is, for the most part, a blessing. There is never a night without cars flying past wide and narrow streets, a different location to dedicate the night to or a different restaurant to try out. New York is diverse not only in its people but in its entertainment — on any given night there’s a chance of running into a celebrity or even street performers. A large part of the appeal of going out in New York is exploring the beauty of a city that promises a fast-paced life, over the top success and a livable minimum wage.

But New York City can also be a curse for students. Our brand new, self-proclaimed independence at college perfectly correlates with the culture of the city, and we feel a sort of responsibility to the thousands of dollars our bank accounts are sacrificing for our tuitions to make the most of our time. Yes, studying in a city as expensive and prospective as New York is a privilege we should not take for granted, but this in turn puts an immense amount of pressure on NYU students to continuously try to uncover every nook and cranny of the city whenever possible, which becomes yet another impossible task on the ever-growing list of things we need to accomplish before graduation.

In an era of political times that have the majority of millennials feeling fearful for the future, having a weekend or two to yourself is more than well deserved. Self-care should not be taken for granted. Our generation has become known as the one of emotional intelligence — we are more aware than ever that placing self-help as a priority is not a narcissistic or negative trait. Sometimes, you just need to cuddle into a fuzzy blanket for a day or two and maybe only interact with your roommates or your mom. And that’s OK. There will be plenty of weekends where you can see your friend pass out on the A train or hold deep conversations at 3 a.m with the group of women you just met outside of a speakeasy. But if you want to take a day to see New York behind the comfort of your window, then do it. And don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t.

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them. Email Melanie Pineda at [email protected].