Anthony Boettcher’s alarm goes off at 5:30 A.M. every Tuesday so he can make it to Fiddle Club by 7:00 A.M. After a full day of classes, he heads to his shift at Lalli’s Pizza. For many Wauwatosa West students like Boettcher, balancing high school with jobs and extracurriculars is a grueling, daily marathon. If this is their schedule, they don’t get home until it’s late most days.
“I am involved in quite a few extracurriculars, which include National Honor Society, German Honor Society, Theater, the School Board, and being Captain of the Tosa Climbing Team,” said senior Max Decker. “On top of this, I also spend an average of 15 hours a week working as a shift manager at Yo Mama’s Frozen Yogurt”
Other seniors at West like Max Decker, such as Izzy Taormina, also have multiple extracurriculars that take a lot of commitment as well as a job.
“I work as a stylist for 4 days a week on top of being involved in National Honor Society, Feminine Student Union, Mock trial, Gay Straight Alliance, CNA courses, SNHS, and tutoring, which on average take 2-4 hours a week” said Taormina.
Having a job on top of extracurriculars can be a lot for a High School student to handle. Even without a job, doing multiple extracurriculars or a sport can take up many hours of their week.
“I don’t have a job, but I am involved in Tosa West Theatre, Cello primarily, civics games and APPSE,” said senior Ben Nowacek. “The time commitment varies wildly based on whether I’m currently involved in a show, but rehearsals take around 27 hours outside of school, and I spend about 4 hours with my cello throughout the week”
Students may even have school work that needs to be completed outside of school, which can add to the load they carry outside of school. Because school, extracurriculars, and a job can take a lot of work, it can be very stressful for students.
“I sometimes find myself feeling overwhelmed with how many things are happening at once, and being worried about keeping up with things. However, I honestly feel happier when my life is at a premium, it makes me feel more confident that what I’m doing at any given time is meaningful and worthwhile,” said Nowacek.
“I’m involved in the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, or MYSO, and Fiddle club, which take around 4 or more hours a week, and an extra 10 hours a week for practicing outside of them,” said freshman Anthony Boettcher. “I also work three nights a week at Lowly’s Pizza, two of which are school days”
Having so much to do can be very overwhelming for many students. However, there are many ways that can help them enjoy their extracurricular activities more.
“I prioritize the most important things and work from there. Advice I would give is to try not to wear yourself out” said senior Jamo Boettcher.
“I find for myself that staring at walls and thinking of nothing really helps me clear my mind,” said Freshman Anthony Boettcher. “Running also really helps to clear my mind and reset myself so that I can bring 100% to everything”
Another thing that can help students to not stress out too much is their mindset. The way a student feels going into something can change how they feel coming out of them.
“You can either look at it positively or negatively—be an optimist or a pessimist—and you should always be optimistic and enjoy it,” said freshman Anthony Boettcher.
