The Balancing Act

Being a teenager and young adult is easily the hardest part of your life. From major life transitions, new responsibilities, societal pressures, internal pressures, and just so much more, being a young adult is a pressure cooker of stress, concern, and faithful decision-making as you work to build a life you hope will work out for you and give you what you want. 

But you’re not just a teenage dirtbag, baby, and just because it’s difficult doesn't mean it has to be impossible. It may seem like balancing grades, clubs, and social life as a teenager is a feat that can’t be done, but it can be, and we’re here to help! 

Grades. Nothing new once you hit high school, and yet it’s all completely new. From the class schedules to more report cards and infinitely harder classes, it’s a huge juxtaposition from K-8. But first, always remind yourself that you’ve already made it through K-8. You’ve had the school dynamic flipped on you already when you entered middle school, and you can do it again! Here are some tips and tricks for surviving and thriving with the change once more.

1. Your teachers are the key.

   1. Even if you feel like your teachers can’t teach, they're still the key. Attend officer hours if you can, ask questions, and work with them where you can. You don’t have to be a teacher’s pet, but you need to be kind, cooperative, and respectful at all times, no matter what you think of them personally.

2. Procrastination.

   1. Don’t procrastinate. Trust, we know it's tempting, but procrastination is a THIEF. It steals your time, and time is the deciding factor in whether you’re prepared for that test, whether you finish that assignment before the deadline, and how good that project will actually be. Do what you say you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it, and just do it!

3. Consistency.

   1. However, just because you can’t procrastinate doesn’t mean you have to be working 24/7. Consistency and scheduling are key. Work in your downtime, plan out when you’ll be working, and how you’ll work. When you’re relaxing, put your work away from you, and when you’re working, keep your phones and other relaxing things away from you.

4. Grades aren’t everything(and neither are tests).

   1. However, even if you do get a bad grade or a rough score, that is not the end of the world. You are so much more than a number or a letter. If you fail, don’t just throw the paper away, compartmentalize it, or cry; look it over. See what you did wrong, reflect, study, and make the needed changes! Don’t just mourn it; use it to make a change.

Speaking of how grades aren’t everything, something that does feel like everything, at least to college applications, is extracurriculars. Extracurricular activities are also the most difficult academic aspect of becoming a teenager. Seeing others win national competitions, found their own non-profits, and lead numerous clubs and extracurricular activities always feels like a competition to be the best and do the absolute most. But this isn’t the goal, and it shouldn’t be how this system works. Even if you think, “Well, isn’t that what colleges want to see?”, the answer is no! Colleges want to see dedication, passion, and focus, and that’s what you should focus on, too. To guide you through this, I have an example of how to develop yourself through extracurriculars, how to find them, and how to create your own opportunities or even lead pre-existing ones.

So, let’s start with our example. We have a Class of 2027 student at an early-college magnet school, which emphasizes Cambridge, AP, and Honors classes, as well as dual enrollment, among other academic focuses. Her name is Kayla. She came into high school wanting to go into healthcare, but her freshman year(since this school is also a 6-12), in an effort to acclimate herself and make new friends, she joined anything regardless of her career focus. This included the following:

• A Community-based Youth Council            

• BETA Club

• Her school’s Environmental Science club

Though not focused on healthcare, these activities are all connected to service, a crucial focus for this student, which made her realize she wanted to do something in healthcare that was directly linked to service and hands-on, which led her to nursing. Over the summer, she participated in the Atlanta Community Food Bank Youth Learn & Serve Summit, which sparked her interest in environmental science and how food relates to public health.

In her Sophomore year, she figured she’d keep all her current ECs but add more that are more connected to healthcare and/or are service opportunities. So, in addition to the previous clubs, she added:

• HOSA

• Library Volunteering Team

• National Science Honor Society

• Health District Youth Council

• Statewide science club

• Key club

• Health Youth Council

Now, she’s a part of ten different clubs. So you’re definitely wondering, “How in the world did she manage this?” First of all, virtual clubs! The Health Youth Council and the statewide science club are largely virtual, so all she needed to do was attend meetings and do her club work. For the rest of the clubs, time management is key. Utilizing Google Calendar and physical calendars to their max is incredibly helpful, and not procrastinating, as cliché as it may be, is key. Procrastination steals time, and time is valuable. Time is money and time is life! Over her summer, she participated in the Grady and Piedmont Athens Teen Volunteer Programs, which reaffirmed her want to pursue healthcare.

Now in her junior year, she recognized her need to cut back on clubs and focus more intently on her three chief areas, nursing/healthcare, volunteering, and education/literacy, so her club list now looks like this.

• HOSA

• Library Volunteering Team

• National Science Honor Society

• Health District Youth Council

• Key club

• A Community-based Youth Council            

• BETA Club

• Internship with an Early Learning Department

• Researching and blogging for Health clubs

This list is larger than it's ever been, but it is more focused on healthcare, services, and education (or a combination of all), and because of her balance of virtual activities, such as blog writing and researching, and in-person activities, use of various calendars for organization, and most importantly, dedication, she’s able to manage it all, even with being a leader in many of these obligations.

Speaking of being a leader, how do you become one? How do you put yourself in a position to be a leader in an organization? Well, let’s continue to explore Kayla’s story and find out how. First of all, only work to be a leader in something you're passionate about. Don’t just do something willy-nilly; you have to have passion, or it's going to bite you. Now, let’s see how and where Kayla’s a leader and explore the commonalities on how that happened. At the moment, Kayla is: 

• Vice President, HOSA

• Vice President, Library Volunteering Team

• Councilmember, National Science Honor Society

• Community Engagement Coordinator, Health District Youth Council

• President, A Community-based Youth Council            

5/9 on leadership as a junior, not bad! Here are the top commonalities between these roles.

1. Join as a dedicated member. Show demonstrated interest the moment you join a club. Ask questions about new things, attend events, talk and network, and make sure people know your name in a good way.

2. Be reliable. Help others with tasks. Always get your tasks done on time. Showcase to leadership that you are there, doing what you need to do, and going above and beyond. 

3. Bring new ideas. Introduce a project, comment on pre-existing projects, and overall do what you can to show your uniqueness as a potential leader.

Now that you have the skills to be dedicated to an EC, how do you join them? Beyond school clubs, how do you find community opportunities?

1. Attend community events. See who’s there and what they’re offering

2. Make your own opportunities! Reach out and ask if there are any opportunities. If there’s not, ask if you can lead one or make one, even if it’s just volunteering.                                                                    

But beyond all the stuff needed for a college application, it’s always important to focus on what really matters. Relationships! Relationships with family, partners, and friends are truly what’s key. Those relationships are what will keep you anchored, stable, and, most importantly, cared for. No matter how scary or hard the rest of the world seems, these people are going to be the ones holding you down, so you must make time for them and keep them a part of your world. When you have downtime, send a text to someone! Ask how your friend is doing, send an update to your extended loved ones, or just check in with someone. When you come home from school, talk to whoever you can in the house. Having those connections, those genuine interactions, is a key part of keeping yourself sane throughout the hardship of becoming an adult. Always take time to take a breath, to relax, and remember that you’re doing better than you’re giving yourself credit for!