Junior Shanza Sheik knows how to keep herself busy. With school, activities, and two jobs on her schedule, her calendar is jam-packed, but she has learned how to operate it with intention. Her experiences have taught her the value of juggling time and making space for what’s most important. She realizes how much farther she has come, being more cautious, mature, and tuned into what she’s doing. She’s looking forward to the future and is happy to see where it will bring her.
“For the school, I am a part of the JV Tennis Team and a frequent participant in the Spanish Club. I am also involved in NHS [National Honor Society],” Shanza said. “I also work at a boba tea shop and as a homework grader at Kumon.”
Her dedication is evident in how she juggles her hectic schedule of school, extracurricular activities, and two jobs. Where other students might get away with one extracurricular, she goes the extra mile. The intense workload demands attention, discipline, and a large amount of responsibility. It can not be easy to do it all, but she gives each of her commitments their due respect, showing up wherever she is needed.
Even with good intentions, however, this balancing act can be quite a challenge. With all these commitments, sometimes there isn’t much time for herself or a social life. She makes lots of tough choices, sacrificing her relaxation time to finish an assignment or wrap up a long shift. The challenge of trying to do all of this—succeed in school, stay interested, and stay up-to-date with work—can be overwhelming.
“The biggest challenge for me is that I don’t get as much time to myself because I’m so occupied,” Shanza said. “I don’t get to do as many of the things I enjoy.”
Many of her days are nonstop, with school, meetings, work shifts, and by the end of the day, there is barely any time for her to breathe. The activities she once enjoyed have dropped down the list, to be replaced by timelines and responsibilities.
It’s not that she doesn’t care about what she does, but sometimes wishes she had the ability to do something because she wants to, not because it’s on her calendar. That feeling of always being busy can be draining, making it easy to lose herself in the midst of all the busyness.
“If there were anything I could tell my past self, it would be to be more mature in difficult situations,” Shanza said. “Also, to be wiser about conflict and to be more mindful of my actions.”
Shanza has learned many things from all the experiences she has gone through with her packed schedule. She wishes she could have been more confident and mature when facing conflicts. While we may not know how to do everything in the moment, it is always good to think about how we can better ourselves. Hindsight is always 20/20.
“My sister sent me a quote once that said, ‘Don’t compare yourself to others, compare yourself to the past you.’” Shanza said. “It is still one of my favorite quotes to this day.”
Shanza’s sister may not have known it in the moment, but sending her this quote changed Shanza’s life for the better. It is so easy to get lost in the craziness of life and get stuck comparing yourself to your friends, people on social media, or others.
This quote reminds the reader that the only person you should be comparing yourself to is yourself in the past. It’s imperative to focus on your own personal growth and progress, rather than being consumed by what others have achieved. She will remember this quote for whatever she pursues in her future.
“I plan to go to college out of state, possibly in Chicago,” Shanza said. “I am not entirely sure of what major I want to study, but I am interested in psychology.”
She doesn’t have a concrete plan for her future, which isn’t uncommon for someone her age, but she is interested in the direction of psychology. While there is so much pressure to know exactly what job you want when you’re a teenager, it is not a bad thing if you don’t know. She has lots of advice for people who want to follow a dedicated schedule such as hers.
“To anyone who desires to follow in my footsteps, [I suggest] you procrastinate less,” Shanza said, “prioritize the right things, take breaks when you need to, and learn how to manage your time effectively.”
