Jena Richardson, Handling a Busy Schedule

February 25, 2010  
Filed under Feature

Are you someone who is always busy? Do you constantly find yourself scrounging around for time? Do you ever wonder if your plate is too full? Take a tip from senior Jena Richardson and make sure you have good time management and don’t get yourself stuck in a hole.

Richardson is one of the many, hard-working students at our school who strives to maintain good grades while being involved in school activities and having a job. She balances a tough senior schedule, not to mention the homework that comes with it, an after school job, and she participates in multiple school organizations including cross-country, track, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, National Honor Society, Key Club, Student Council and yearbook. Sounds like a pretty full plate, right?

Richardson said it is stressful to be so busy, but she knows that being involved will help her get mentally and physically prepared for the future. And since she is a senior, her near future includes going to college. This is why she took a job at the south Dairy Queen in Ottawa—to pay for college, gas, insurance and bills. Richardson works almost every day from 4p.m. to close.

So with school every day, club meetings, athletic practices, a job, and homework, when does Richardson ever have down time?

“The hardest thing about having such a busy schedule is having time for myself; time to sleep, time for others,” Richardson said.

Even with a lack of sleep, it seems as though all Richardson’s hard work is paying off. She is a district officer in FCCLA, president of her class and does well in school. But there are some definite challenges that she has had to overcome to keep succeeding. During the course of last school year and this year, Richardson has had surgery on each of her feet, which did anything but make her life easier.

“It added stress to finals. I had to take mine three weeks before everyone else,” Richardson said.

Other stresses due to Richardson’s hectic schedule?

“Maintaining good grades and paying my bills. I try to get ahead, but it’s hard when I have surgery. I basically have to stay on top of everything, or I’ll slack behind everyone else.”

Although Richardson loves to be involved, she knows she cannot be a part of everything. She wishes she was in forensics or debate, and that she did not stop doing theater after middle school, but knows there is just no time. After all, it is unhealthy to stretch yourself too thin.

“I’ve learned sometimes that I can’t do everything,” Richardson said. “Sometimes you have to say ‘no’; pick and choose.”

Although she is not able to participate in everything she would like to, there is one activity that allows Richardson to get small tastes of her forsaken interests: photography.

“In being a photographer, I get a glimpse of the clubs and activities I didn’t have time for. Even though it’s very stressful.”

Despite having no time for herself, or sleep, and large lists of stress and obligation, there is no doubt that Richardson’s challenging, diligent lifestyle has its rewards.

“It helps me become aware of things, and I think I’ve become more mature and self dependent,” Richardson said. “It’s like I’m on my own, except I don’t have my own house.”

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Jaime Birzer

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