Student Blog: If We Make It Through the Week

The transition from the leisurely, unburdened state of your “summer self” to diving headfirst into the high school life that comes with endless deadlines, responsibilities, and exertion is nothing short of chaos. No matter how prepared you may be with your color-coded school supplies and acceptance of work expectations, that transition still seems to find a way to jolt careful organization into stress-filled disarray. But this surprisingly not hyperbolic description is also negating the fact that throwing in an array of extracurriculars, including theater, makes this process ten times more hectic. I’ve encountered a great deal of adults whose response to high schoolers’ workload and lack of free time is to shake their heads, sigh, and say, “I don’t understand how these kids do it.” And if I’m being truly honest, at times even I don’t understand how “these kids” can manage to achieve so much in a limited 24 hours. Is the solution to balancing this many objects at once merely sub six hours of sleep and lots of caffeine, or is it something more (like Marty McFly’s time machine from Back to the Future or Jeremy Heere’s Squip from Be More Chill)? 

Just a week ago I was tasked with studying for multiple AP tests on the same day while also having the requirement of my technicaland performance theater events being finished that same week for Florida Thespians (our state theater festival). This was also placed along with the factor of my time already being marginalized by my other extracurriculars like varsity swim team and voice lessons. Even now I still don’t know how I managed to power through that week without having a full Evan Hansen-style crash out. 

For some context I’m only a high school Sophomore, so even though it seems incredulous for me to power my way through my day, it must be downright supernatural for upperclassmen to achieve this.  

Arguably, the most important factor for keeping up with the workload that hits you like a fifty-pound brick at the beginning of the school year is maintaining a strong sense of discipline when navigating your exhaustive lists of duties. In the wise words of Lin Manuel Miranda “I am the one thing I can control,” so why not use control to spur accomplishment? 

I have personally found myself in a great deal of scenarios where I am given an interval of time to squeeze in some work on my assignments and don’t quite have the energy to do so. But despite this, I have pushed through it by slapping in my earbuds, clicking play on one of my most motivational playlists, and grinding through the work. Sometimes setting myself up with the mindset of “how would ‘later me’ feel” is the only way I persuade myself to knock these assignments out in moments I don’t quite have the energy. 

After long periods of time shouldering your way through piles of work, it’s easy to fall into that mindless flow of completing your duties not because you wanted to do them in the first place, but because it’s required of you, expected of you, to complete them.Despite how depressing it may be, trudging forward with the mindset of “I only have to do this for ___ longer before I can stop” won’twork in the long-term. You can only mindlessly push your way through for so long before you’re forced to come to terms with some kind of purpose for why you do what you do. 

I always fall back on the experience of theater which can very much fall into this mindset. Having a personal drive for why you work so hard is especially important in an art like this where passion and genuineness are essential to the process. Prepping for auditions, memorizing lines, and curating performances for upcoming events in your theater program can easily fall into the mental category of “assignments” or “things to get done fast.” Just taking the time to reflect on why you love theater so much can do wonders for your success and stamina in this world of performing. 

Overall, there is no “magic fix” for handling the chaos that ensues at the beginning of the school year, but many points of emphasis(like discipline and purpose) can be helpful aids in developing a manageable and engaging routine. 

“Nobody but me is gonna change my story” -Matilda the Musical