By CARLOS RUBEN DOURADO
brats@thestar.com.my

WE often hear of how young people these days tend to struggle with their ever-so-hectic daily routines. With all the amazing challenges and interesting new trends coming alive pretty much every other day, most of us have grown up with a thirst for new things and to venture into the unknown.

Despite this “eagerness” in most of us, some do struggle with managing their time and organizing their lives.

In conjunction with “International Get Your Life Organized Week” earlier this month, we decided to talk to a few of our (busy) BRATs to see how they cope with their never-ending assignments, co-curriculur activities and the other hobbies they’ve picked up along the way.

Mistika Idris, 18, INTI College Subang

“Besides committing myself to college, I’m actively involved in the BRATs committee, I practise ballet and I’m the vice president of the American Degree Programme (ADP) committee in college.

I normally make myself a to-do list or a schedule so I don’t waste time lazing in front of the TV thinking I have nothing to do. Sometimes there’s just not enough time in a day, but you need to make time.

My family and I make it a point to have dinner together every night, where we catch up on our lives. To us, that’s really important.

I feel we shouldn’t get too overwhelmed with life. Don’t try to get yourself involved in everything. You have to prioritise. I do admit the Internet distracts me a lot. Just the other day I was on YouTube for five hours watching cats falling down in different directions instead of completing my assignment. You basically need to find the strength to not give into temptation. Right now, I’m actually resisting the temptation to watch a Law & Order marathon that’s airing on TV.”

Melissa Ong Yin Yin, 19, IACT College

“I’m currently doing my Diploma in mass communications. Besides that I am a dancer, dance teacher, musical performer, freelance photographer/videographer, vocalist/violinist/keyboardist for Infinity Music Band, BRAT and an Astro TV Host for Tong Tong’s Wonderland (a children’s show on Astro channel 325). The top three words in my dictionary are fast, alert and focus – 24 hours a day is definitely not enough for me.

I would never finish all the things I have to do if I were to just chill around. And I am the type of person who wants everything to be done nicely and neatly – I am something of a perfectionist. I have that perseverance to always do my best in whatever I am doing.

Our mind often distracts us from going forward. When you’ve achieved something, your brain will often tell you: “Good job! Now it’s time to rest and chill because you’re already good.” And before you know it, you’ve become distracted from having an organized life. But always remember, do not give up. It will be hard in the beginning but things will only get better in life.”

Jordan Jay Matthews, 16, SMK La Salle

“Other than being a Form Four student, I’m also involved in BRATs assignments, parkour training, tuition, dance events/practices, gym training and basketball.
To juggle all this, I create a schedule so I know what days I’ll be free to take up an event/activity.
I actually don’t feel that stressed out, mainly because I love what I do.
Finding time for my family isn’t hard either, because most of my activities involve them as well as my friends.
It’s important to live life to the fullest, and to do something extraordinary every day.

Decide what’s important to you, prioritise those things and strive for them. Live your with joy, laughter and fun.

Try to not let others bring you down or hurt you in the midst of everything and just keep a positive mind.”

Regina Lee, 19,  Sunway University

“I’m currently pursuing my BA (Hons) in Communication, I am an event planner – although it’s more of a hobby – and I recently decided to join the cheerleading club. A planner is a must for me, so I don’t double book myself and I can plan ahead.

I even plan out time to have fun, although it can lead to procrastination. But I try not to keep anything to the eleventh hour.

I would definitely like to be more involved as a BRAT, what with all the amazing assignments offered to us every month.

Apart from planning, I’d say you really need determination and persistence. Get to know what’s ahead of you and avoid having last minute work. It’s not easy when there are so many things to tempt you away from work. But you have to think about how your work serves you better in life.”

Theram Singh, 17, SMK St. John

“Being an SPM student is tough, plus I play hockey. I have a timetable for myself, but honestly, my parents and sister play a huge role in motivating me.

I do get stressed quite a lot, but that’s where sports come in. There’s a reason why I exercise after studying in the evening – to shift my mind towards something else. I’m usually satisfied with myself every day because I know I achieved something.

I feel that sometimes stress is actually good, it gets me going. If there was no pressure from my coach or teachers or parents, I don’t think I would be able to achieve most things.

The one way my family and I spend time together is by praying together. We usually carry out our daily prayers in the morning and we are quite close because we make time for god. Given the chance, I’d really like to take up tennis, squash and football. And I guarantee you, after SPM, I’m gonna be super involved with BRATs assignments =P

My advice would be to discipline yourself and study hard. I think you can achieve a lot of things if you sit down, pray and reflect on where you’re headed in life.”

Ann-Marie Khor, 19, High School Bukit Mertajam
“Apart from having to sit for STPM this year (next month to be exact!), I’m also a part of The Star’s Starstruck & BRATs. And I’m quite active in church. I’m actually really busy, but I try to make every second count. For example, if I tell myself I’m gonna study for an hour, I make sure that I really focus during that hour and when I have fun like when I go online and talk to my friends, I make sure that my whole head is in the current situation, so it’s not wasted time.

It really takes trial and error to get your life organized, so I wouldn’t say I’m good at it, but I’m trying my best. It’s about finding what works for you. It’s really important for me to put my heart into everything I do. I really kick into gear and start studying when I’m under stress, so stress is good for me, I guess.

I’d really like to be involved in more charity work and maybe more competitions because they really teach me a lot. Besides learning skills and stuff, you also learn a lot about yourself in the process. You really need to learn to prioritize. And to know your priorities, you have to be introspective and reflective of whatever you do so you’ll know what’s important to you. Don’t measure your life based on tangible success and failures. Take your grades, for example. They are not everything. By re-evaluating our lives and focusing on what’s important, we can make a change for the better.”