What are you passionate about? Gardening, baking, or playing sports? We all have passions and hobbies and want to use them to benefit society. However, when you have at least two hobbies, it can take time to balance them. For example, my hobbies are writing and making music. I love them equally, but I’ve had moments when I prioritized writing over music or vice versa.

I joined the Journalism Club last school year to help me strengthen my writing. I ended up loving the club, but it caused me to put off practicing my viola, which is unfit for the individual musician and the ensemble. As a result, I joined a music honor society called Tri-M this year to improve my practicing habits. While Tri-M did encourage me to practice more, it caused me to become uninspired during Journalism Club meetings. I’m still working on balancing them, but it isn’t easy.

Finding a balance doesn’t just occur between clubs; it also happens when choosing courses for the next school year. Students in the Science and Technology program need to fulfill restricting requirements while maintaining a social life. In most cases, S/T students have to drop a class they enjoy to complete those harsh requirements. Some S/T students don’t even want to major in a STEM field, but they still have to drop courses just to graduate on time!

When trying to figure out how to find a balance between passions, take some time to reflect on yourself and what you want to do. Next time you join a club or sign up for a class, ask yourself why you want to join. Will it benefit you in the future, or will it waste your time? Answering these questions will help you make the most out of high school, the Roosevelt Way.