Some students can’t pass by a sign-up sheet without writing down their names.
They’re involved in everything — at the risk of losing sleep and sanity — but say they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I do feel overwhelmed, but I get through it,” senior Grace Morgan said. “I just know that there’s always an end to it, if it’s ever in a really bad time.”
Morgan is involved in cross country, track, FYI Club, Knitting Club, National Honors Society, National Art Honors Society, choir, and orchestra. She also volunteers at the library and is very involved with her church.
“I go on mission trips,” Morgan said. “This summer, I went to Denver and we worked with the homeless in that whole area. I’ve also gone to New Orleans and helped rebuild homes for (Hurricane) Katrina. I do [other] stuff with the church, too, like with Family Promise, or around Thanksgiving [we] pass out meals to people.”
Senior Emily McEntire is also very involved. She is in cross country, track and National Honors Society, along with Sign Language Club. In her spare time, she works with the youth group and nursery at her church, along with her job at the Body Boutique nursery.
“It’s school every day, cross country every day, working [is] four hours on Monday, four hours on Wednesday, and lots and lots of homework,” McEntire said. “Saturdays, [I have] all day cross country meets, and Sundays is all working and volunteering.”
Morgan also has a hectic schedule.
“I’m basically gone from 6:30 in the morning to 5:30 at night,” she said.
However, all of this involvement isn’t limited to just seniors. Sophomore Sadie Keller is involved in volleyball, soccer, Heart of a Lion, FCS, FYI, Choir, Band, Stuco, Forensics and National History Day. She is also hoping to be in the musical.
“I have to prioritize and not spend time on off-task things, like reading or watching Dance Moms,” Keller said.
Another very involved student is senior Audie Monroe, who, although he lives in Ottawa, manages to make it to cross country and cheer practice, Club Couture, FYI and FCS meetings, A Capella choir concerts, along with off-and-on volunteering.
“Everyday I wake up at about 5:15… [My commute] is like 30 minutes,” Monroe said. “I get to school at 6:45 usually. Tuesdays I get home around six, [and every other day] I get home at around nine.”
Prioritization is key for students involved in many activities, and some of them admitted to losing sleep in order to finish homework in time.
“[When I feel overwhelmed], those are the nights I stay up really, really late,” McEntire said.
They also had other tips for students struggling with time management.
“Don’t put the things you struggle with aside — make those your first priority,” Keller said. “And get help where it’s needed.”
They all agreed that procrastination is a challenge.
“Figure out what days you can work on something [and] what classes you need to put more effort into than others,” Morgan said.
Monroe had some specific advice for underclassmen especially.
“When you’re younger, definitely try tons of new things,” Monroe said. “But when you get older, you want to start prioritizing and understanding what’s going to actually help you in your career or in your future. If you’re spending like 20 hours a week doing something you’re not going to pursue after you get out of high school, you probably should stop doing that, unless you have time for it. But if there’s other stuff you want to do, it’s a good skill to learn what you should be doing and what you shouldn’t be doing.”
The busiest students learn to say no when they don’t have enough time for what they find most important.
“Sometimes I have to cancel on volunteering or have to skip a practice or something like that because schoolwork comes first; it’s kind of the core of everything,” Morgan said. “I have to make sure I have time for that.”
Monroe also had to make sacrifices to make time to do what is most important to him.
“I don’t get to go to youth group anymore because I just have too much going on,” Monroe said. “Instead of investing myself partially into something, I stop doing something completely, because I’d rather be fully invested than partially invested.”
Some say they would like to continue their busy schedules in college.
“I really want to do running in college, but that’s a big ‘if,’” Morgan said. “I’d really like to do music too and definitely volunteer. I know the classes are harder, but you have more time. I know I’m not going to be gone for 11 hours [each day] like I am now.”
Something each of these students agree on is that they couldn’t see themselves any other way.
“A huge part of high school are the opportunities to be involved in different areas, and LHS is known for kids being very good at lots of things,” Keller said. “Extracurricular activities give me a chance to learn responsibility, make friends, and a chance to excel in leadership.”