Balancing It All

​Balancing robotics, school, and life is no easy job. Late-night practices, high expectations, and crammed schedules push us to our limits—but that’s what makes it all worth it. In this blog, I sat down with two incredible LadyTalons members to hear firsthand about their experiences juggling STEM, academics, and friendships. Let’s dive in and see how they make it all work!

How does the robotics team help each other maintain a good balance?
Let's hear it from Erin (11th grade), our current Electrical Captain for 9492

"Many of our teammates are taking the same classes and are all really big academic achievers. Whenever we fall behind on schoolwork, we work together as study buddies, and we all understand the academic stress that comes with competition season every year. Whenever we struggle with balancing other responsibilities with robotics, we feel comfortable talking about it with one another and can understand what these experiences are like. Our team shares a close friendship with one another, and we always cheer each other up when we see each other feeling down and remind everyone that we are always there to support one another!"

What advice would you give to someone struggling to juggle robotics and academics?
Our team captain, Fatemeh (12th grade) answers this question

"The advice I would give to someone who is struggling to juggle robotics and academics would be to balance what they prioritize. The misconception is that one must be chosen over the other. While that is true at specific times, I also believe we must put our best faith effort into both activities. With robotics, we have our teammates relying on us and a successful season, and with academics, it’s the recognition. To excel at both doesn’t mean completely losing time for yourself, but really working to balance the two activities, so you feel like you are making an impact both ways."

What has been the biggest challenge in balancing robotics with other commitments?
Answering this question, we have Jocelyn (10th grade) who is our 9492 driver
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"Balancing robotics with other commitments is definitely one of the biggest challenges many students face today. Between academic pressures, extracurricular activities, family responsibilities, and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life, it can sometimes feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. I’m sure many students share the same sentiment and find themselves staying late after scheduled meetings or working through weekends when competition deadlines loom. I balance robotics with competitive dance and art classes, and I hold down a part-time weekend job. There are weeks when my schedule is so packed that I'm literally rushing from robotics straight to dance practice, quickly changing in the car. However, when you truly love your activities, you find ways to make them work together. It's not always pretty and there are definitely moments of stress and exhaustion, but the satisfaction of pursuing your interests and doing what you love makes it all worthwhile."

9492 LadyTalons
Author: Nandika Nandan 
Interviewees: Erin Dolores; Fatemeh Fardin; Jocelyn Li