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