Balancing Life & Riding by Equestrianista Lola Keene
Posted on September 30 2015
Riding takes time, high school takes time, and it’s hard to find a way to fit anything else in. However after balancing AP classes, riding lessons, tack cleaning, and the rest of my life, I’ve compiled some tips that might help.
1. Eliminate the changing time! If you wear clothes to school that you can ride in, you can save the time that it normally takes to stop at home and get dressed. I always wear my Equestrianista Quarter Zip sweater and favorite Tredstep breeches and Sperrys during early morning tests such as the SAT, so I can slip on my boots and go straight to the barn after.
2. Buy good headphones! This way you can bring your notes and laptop to your show, the barn, or in the car and get work done without getting distracted by outside noise. Also, if people can tell that you’re really focused on your work, they are less likely to try and describe they’re last jump off to you while you’re rushing to finish an assignment.
3. Always pack food! If you bring food to eat as a snack or for lunch during school, you’re less likely to spend all your money at Starbucks. Packing food to bring to shows can also save you from spending too much on unhealthy show food.
4. Work efficiently! As tempting as it is, move your phone and anything not necessary for your studying to a different room so that you aren’t distracted. Give yourself frequent breaks to stretch and eat a snack so that you don’t burn out halfway through a project. Sometimes working in a cafe can help remove you from the distractions of your room, and provide caffeine and a snack as motivation.
5. Plan ahead! Use a planner to figure out your weekends and evenings ahead of time. Write down your homework while in class, figure out what has priority, and decide how much time you are willing to spend on each assignment. That way when you get home, you can immediately start on the projects that are due the next day, and not waste time on an essay that you can finish next week. Time management is the number one thing that will help, and making sure you set aside enough time to finish all the important stuff after school and on the weekends will allow you to put plenty of time into your riding.
Lola Keene for Equestrianista
0 comments