With a Grain of Salt

Written by Justin Chu

Misallocating my time. Because of this, I’ve stretched myself too thin on extracurriculars and did not allocate enough time to effectively prepare for my classes. This was a major issue I had not only during senior year but throughout high school. Sophomore year I had my first major GPA drop because I did not have the stamina to keep up with my academics along with marching band/Wind Ensemble and being part of a conference planning committee. It will only diminish as I was not willing to let go of my extracurriculars. As a result, I graduated high school with a 2.78 GPA and did not receive my IB Diploma. Despite my poor academic performance, I was fortunate enough to be accepted to UCF by the recommendation of my Guidance Counselor.

​I needed to make up for my failure back in high school. From the beginning of freshman year, I learned how to utilize my calendar to time block my day, practice deliberately studying for 45 mins increments and taking 15-minute breaks in between. Through trial and error, I was able to build up my academic foundation and manage my extracurriculars/internships more effectively.

​To the students entering their senior year or advancing a class in high school, start valuing your time more. Consider your opportunity cost when deciding on your next task. Once you have a better grasp of your time, enjoy your high school experience. Enjoy not having any serious obligations and find something that will bring you joy. If you can’t find what brings you joy, actively searching for your passion counts. Have something that makes you so good that people can't ignore you. And if you end up graduating poorly like me, it’s not the end of the world. Post-high-school will be an opportunity to reinvent yourself. It’s honestly what you make out of it at the end of the day, and the dividends will show.​