JANICE LEE Class 4D1 ( 2010 )
STRUGGLING TO TAKE LEAD OF MY LIFE
A Student Council President keeps true to all her commitments and learns her biggest lesson .
If I had to describe my entire journey as the President of the Student Council ( SC ), there would only be one word that I can offer – Struggle .
Why ?
Because behind all the supposed glamour and praise was a long and tedious struggle . I must first establish the basis of my year-long struggle ; apart from being the SC President , I was also a friend , a sister , a daughter , and most of all , an ordinary Secondary Four student preparing for her GCE O-Level . It was by no means an easy task handling the various roles and responsibilities I had , and soon what was initially juggling became struggling to keep up with my commitments .
I had only 24 hours a day and managing my time became of essence to accomplishing all that I had . From revising my Chemistry to planning Teachers ’ Day , spending quality time with family , to being a good friend , I was neck-deep in work every day . While attempting to cope , I became ignorant of my emotional health . I remember the nights I would sit at my study table and stare at the wall feeling completely overwhelmed . I would break into tears , simply because I did not even know where to start . I was drained - physically , mentally and emotionally . After many months , things started to get better . I began to have a good grasp of my time management , not forgetting to always leave time for myself . It was such a steep learning curve ; I felt like a rough diamond , constantly refined by the challenges that were thrown my way .
It is one thing to accept the many commitments that come your way , but it is another to be able to manage them and do well in each of them . I realised the hard way that it is vital to be able to say “ No ”. It is not a result of incapability , but the self-awareness of what you can handle , and desire to handle them well . I learned not to bite off more than I could chew . Two other very important things I learned are the art of isolation and the importance of prioritising . More often than not when we lump everything together in our minds , we feel like a lost lamb , but when we isolate each matter and take them step by step , it removes the overwhelming feelings almost instantly . Most of all , what really helped me to cope with these struggles was the simple belief in two words – I can .
“ If there is no struggle , there is no progress .”
We cannot expect everything in life to be smooth-sailing . We cannot aim to be stagnant at exactly where we are , and with challenges and struggles we grow from the rough diamonds we are , to the sparkling gems we are always meant to be .
Janice is the Community Service Award Winner in 2011 . She is currently studying International Business in Ngee Ann Polytechnic .
Our Time : Once A Clementeen , Always A Clementeen 027