Response to Comment

     It is extremely hard to balance sports with academics. I feel like both are very important in different ways.  Obviously, being a good student and working hard on academics is a priority for anyone going to Episcopal.  High school students are considering colleges to go to, and good grades are matter.  On the other hand, participating in a team sport is important too.  There are health benefits and social benefits in being a part of a team.  Balancing the two is not easy.  I want very much to be a good student, and I always try my best in my school work.  I have always made good grades, but I have to work hard for my good grades.  I try to manage my time so that I’m not cramming for tests the night before, and I always do homework and study on weekends.   I also want very much to be a good runner.  I have run cross country and track since 6^th grade, and it has been good for me because it has made a big school seem much smaller because I am part of these groups. I’ve worked hard to be a good runner by going to practice every day and by taking good care of my body.  I want to be successful at both.

A description of a day in the life of Aimee Claire may help.  I get up at 6:00 in the morning, eat breakfast, and leave for school by 6:45.  At school, I am taking Honors Biology, Honors Geometry, and AP World History in addition to English, Latin II, choir, and PE.  I do not have a study hall.  As soon as the bell rings at the end of the day, I go to cross country practice.  We usually practice until about 5:30.  I then wait for my brothers to finish cross country and football, then we head home.  We get home around 7:00.  At that point, it is pretty late to be starting homework that usually takes about 4 hours a night….and I still haven’t had dinner or bathed (and I really like to do both of those!).  I almost never go to sleep before 11:00, and sometimes it is even later.  This happens every week night, even Fridays.  On Saturday mornings during cross country season, most of the day is taken up by meets.  During indoor and outdoor track season, almost the entire day Saturday is taken up with meets too, and they sometimes go into the evening.   On Sunday mornings, my family goes to church.  This is an important part of our lives too, and it is something that we never miss.  This leaves Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon to get all of my homework done for the week that I can do, work on any projects or papers due the next week, and study for all of my tests.  It can’t all get done in that time, no matter how focused I am.  So I have to stay up late to get my homework finished.  This means that I am so tired at school the next day that I can hardly pay attention during class and can’t run very well either. Then when it’s time to do homework, I am already exhausted, so I don’t do as good of a job as I should.  It’s a vicious cycle!

            I’m not complaining about the work load.  I’m the one that chose to take these difficult classes.  I also know that working so hard is getting me ready for college and life.  But sometimes, it is so exhausting! It is really helpful when teachers post their homework in advance and when they give more than a day to get larger assignments done, but sometimes, even with the notice, I am just trying to keep up with what is due the next day, and there isn’t time to work ahead.  I also know that part of the problem is me.  I want to be a really good student and a really good runner, and I want to give 100% to both.  It’s all a balancing act, and I’m still trying to figure out how to balance it right.