An average day for senior Nitya Matcha is best described as “a lot.” It’s not easy having to juggle so many clubs and activities and one’s academic and social life.

She’s the Public Forum Captain for debate, vice president of Model UN, the vice president of Computer Science Honor Society, and the vice president of social media/historian of FCCLA. Nevertheless, this isn’t even a fraction of Matcha’s responsibilities and activities.

Q: What made you take part in so many activities?

A: I think during COVID, I was very isolated and alone, and I didn’t really do much most of my days. Every single day was exactly the same, and so I think because I was deprived of activities for a bit, when I came to high school, I was like, I have to do everything in full force, and then in freshman year, I actually used to do a lot more clubs, which is kind of crazy. But then, over the years, I have to do a look down, because I kind of had a lack of time to put my full commitment to all of them, and then a lot of the clubs I was kind of involved in beforehand. [For example,] during COVID, I was in theater. I was a lighting designer for Stone Hill Performing Arts. And I think some of those hobbies from earlier in my career carried on into high school. [During] COVID, especially [with] the rise of social media during that time, it made me a lot more insecure of who I was, personality-wise. So then during my ninth and 10th grade years, I was not reserved, but I was more self-conscious about what I was doing, but I think towards 11th and 12th grade, I realized that nobody really cares. If you think about it, nobody is spending all that time teaching you. So just be who you are, do what you want to do. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

Q: What do you hope to gain from these activities?

A: My life path is kind of unplanned at the moment. I was really just going to hope to do whatever I want to do, but all of my clubs definitely helped me in a way that they’re teaching me fundamental skills that will prove useful in my future because regardless of what you do, having leadership skills, having the ability to publicly speak, all those they come in handy. I also think that it’s a way of building community and friendships that I don’t really have because I don’t do a physical sport. Debate’s considered a sport by VHSL, but [it’s not a physical sport], so I think it’s kind of like that sportsmanship that you get with the people who are in debate, and we all become like kind of a family, and I think that’s helpful. If you’re talking more technical, I think clubs like Computer Science Honor Society, and Math Honor Society–they all teach you skills that you will use later in your life. I’m going to college for computer science, and so being a part of Computer Science Honor Society that obviously helped me, because now I’m learning more about Computer Science than I would have if I was just taking the regular classes that were offered in the school.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I want to [study] computer science, for now. Hopefully by the end of my four years, I’ll be applying to law school. There’s a lot, there’s accelerated law programs, but I don’t think that’s for me, because I’m really trying to experiment and see all the things that they could do because I don’t know if computer science or law is my end goal. So I want to go in having the most flexibility that I can. Obviously, I want to go to college for computer science, and hopefully afterwards, I’ll go to law school.

Q: Do you find it difficult to juggle so many clubs and activities?

A: I do find it difficult to balance. Not really the club meetings, because you plan the meetings like the day before, and then you present them after school, then you stay for like an hour and a half. That’s where it’s fine because realistically, depending on whether you go home at 4:30 or 5:30, it’s all going to be the same because you have the same amount of time to work afterwards. But what I kind of struggle with is the writing aspect of those two clubs, because for each of those two clubs, in preparation, you have to write and spend time researching, and I find that takes up a lot of time. But the biggest thing is on competition days, is that we have to leave early on Fridays sometimes. We have to skip the last two or three blocks on Fridays for those clubs. So, I find that kind of intrusive because I want to go to all my classes. I know a lot of people are like ‘Oh yeah, we get to leave early,’ but I’m not that tight. I want to stay in my class, and so I find that kind of intrusive. But overall, I don’t think they take up that much time or anything.

Q: How do you balance working part-time, your academics, and your social life?

A: Working is just kind of a part of the schedule. I never think ‘Oh, I have to go to work today.’ It’s just kind of something that I do, and I understand that I signed up for this responsibility. Work isn’t like school, where you kind of didn’t exactly sign up for it but you have to do it anyway. I understood the responsibility of having to work when I signed up for it, so I never take that for granted. I love my boss because he’s very nice: I think that also helps. So, working part time, it’s just you kind of have to plan around it. Sometimes on Thursdays, I’ll be very busy, so on that day, I’ll just try to do all my homework in my TA block instead of at home. So I carve out time to go to work for like four, five hours, twice a week, and then it’s all fine.

Q: Can you describe a normal day in your life?

A: So I wake up, this is probably around 8:20 a.m., then I spend 30 minutes doing my makeup, and so I go down at 8:50. I arrive at school at 9:25 and rush to the cafeteria to buy breakfast. [Then, I go about my school day.] I might go to math Honor Society [after school is over], to get some hours in for the club. I go to debate. Most of the time, I’m judging. I judge the debate from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. I can’t stay the whole time because at 5:30 I have to go home, change into my uniform, and go to work. From 6:00 to 9:30 p.m., I’m at work. After work, I go home, eat dinner, and then I start on my homework. and then I watch some YouTube. This is embarrassing, but I kind of dance for a bit. That’s like my exercise of the day. Then, I shower. I probably reach 11:30, and then I go to sleep. Normally I sleep at 11, but on days I’m busy, I sleep at 11:30.

Q: Do you have any advice for anyone finding it difficult to balance activities and other aspects of life?

A: If you’re finding it difficult to balance things, just don’t do the things. That sounds mean, but I’m being so serious, you’re never going to gain anything if you’re being stressed out by all your activities, right? Because then you’ll come to resent those activities, even if it’s something that you really love. So if you don’t have the time to take like, four or five AP classes,  if you don’t have the time to do seven or eight extracurriculars, if you don’t have the time to do a part-time job, then don’t do it. Because it’ll be better for you mentally and probably physically too, in the long run. If you think that everybody else is doing this, so you should do this too, but you know you can’t handle it, just don’t take the risk because you’ll still get into a decent college. It’s not like not doing one club is going to severely make you less likely for greatness in the future. So, for your sake, do as much as you [can handle].

After the pandemic, Matcha took on many responsibilities, including some outside of school as well. And she doesn’t regret it. She feels hopeful for the future and wherever it takes her and confident in the skills she gained with the many activities she took part in.