In Desperate Times. Reality or Idealism?

After going through so much in university, I have finally given up getting the desired CAP I wanted and getting the second lower class. I would still prefer to cling on to my principle of having a balance in life. While I always see people mugging so hard, sacrificing their sleep, and making themselves haggard, it instead makes me feel more like slacking, feel that life can actually be better.

Of course, you can show yourself by putting in more effort to come up with an impressive work. But I feel that I could only do that if I have the capabilities and I have the drive to do. However, not many modules in university can actually push me to do it. In the end, I found myself doing more when designing the powerpoint slides. I could really concentrate for full one hour just to design nice interfaces or powerpoint slides, or just using photoshop doing mockups.

Or could be my stubbornness, always try hard to do individual assignment myself and not asking for help. I thought it would be better for me to try to solve the problem by myself so that I could grab the concept and remember better. What is the point of submitting a work that you don't even know what the hell you submitted?

But in the end, when the deadline is near, a desperate situation needs a desperate solution. When I'm on wits' end, I will turn to the really reliable man. And the solution always end up very easy. Luckily, this man always try to guide me by asking me questions step by step to solve the problem, so that I can really understand everything. I always try not to rely on him, but I realized my brain just could not function as fast as him. My brain power is really deteriorating. I could really sense that I could not think as fast as before. Or perhaps the pace of how university style of teaching is too fast that this naturally stupid brain of mine could not catch up. The pace of the past education like JC and Secondary were alright for me. I always ask this question: What is the point of making university education system the way it is now? People could just study and forget. Or the answer is too obvious while I'm oblivious to it?

I personally also feel that the learning process should be in a more fun environment. Indeed, some level of stress is inevitable and yet essential for student to grow. Education should not be learn, do and forget. It should be learn, do, have fun, and remember.

But with the deadlines and such a short time to complete so many things, would you choose reality resolution or foolishly cling on to the ideology of idealism like what I do?