We experience what is commonly known as the “grind” every day of our lives. For some, it begins the second they have any spare time during school hours; precious time is not to be wasted lollygagging in front of the library. For others, it might start after a sports practice or afternoon activity. And for a select few, it might even start once most others have already finished their grind and have gone to sleep.

Regardless of what time the grind personally starts for you, it looks pretty similar for the majority of students at Webb: Pull your books out of your bag, start your first assignment, and continue working into the wee hours of the night (or more realistically for upperclassmen, morning).  

We complete math problems, write essays, annotate books, and study for tests. While we are in the midst of the grind, we are aiming for at least some hours of precious sleep. Unfortunately, according to a recent Webb survey conducted by Joon Hwang (‘18),  the average Webb student sleeps 6.825 hours per day, which is much lower than the National Sleep Foundation’s recommended eight hours minimum. Once finished, we crawl into bed and reenergize for the cycle to start over once more the next day.

The grind itself is tedious, tiring, and even at points makes us feel as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It is a part of our lives, and often something we wish was not. I wholeheartedly understand the issue with it, as I too have been there (more times that I would have liked to admit), up at 4 in the morning furiously typing away on my laptop to finish my next summative assessment. However, I’ve come to realize the grind is important and a necessary part of all of us growing into the people we are.

The grind has taught me that it’s not the result that matters, but the process. As we struggle to form an identity and claim responsibility in an increasingly chaotic world, the process of working through the grind each night helps ground us. Throughout our Webb career, we have learned the importance of a strong work ethic, and the ability to calmly cruise over the waves of stress often emitting from our community.

Just think, once you’ve graduated and are in the midst of college or the adult world, you will have the skills to take on almost any other problem in life. While everyone else is running around unsure of how to deal with their newfound stress, remember the Webb grind has already forced the very best of you. It has shown all of us who we are in the face of adversity and has also proven that if we can tackle any number of hours of high school homework, we can tackle whatever else the world throws at us.

We learn in our IPC class sophomore year that it takes pressure to build a diamond. That’s exactly what the grind is doing to all of us. By the time we’re out of here, we’ll all be our own glittery strong personas that will stop at nothing to achieve our goals.