As a teacher, my biggest pet peeve is when a good student turns in work that is not the level of quality that I have come to expect from him. While it is frustrating when any student turns in poor quality work, it is especially irksome when a student typically turns in astounding work and then phones it in for an assignment and gives me something much worse than what I was expecting. I work primarily with upperclassmen, so this happens a lot. Whether it is because that student has just started a new job and doesn’t have time to fully commit to his homework, or because he is graduating soon and having trouble motivating himself, it is beyond frustrating when he turns in something that doesn’t meet his abilities.
The reason why this scenario frustrates me so much is because those students have conditioned me to expect a certain level of quality in their work, and once it is taken away, it is alarmingly apparent. From a student perspective, it might seem that I am saying don’t hold yourself to a high standard because people will continue to hold you to that standard. While there is some truth to that, it is not meant to be a deterrent to producing high quality work. You will be expected to continue to produce at that high quality level, but you will also be given opportunities that others do not receive because your superiors will realize that you are a worker of high quality.
In our school there are lots of students who consistently produce high quality work. There is, however, an occurrence that I have noticed trending amongst some of our older students. These high-producers are often the same type of people who like to be involved in a lot of activities. This is great; we love when responsible people hold our student leadership positions and fill our clubs and sports. The problem occurs when these students take on too many activities and responsibilities. While some may choose to stay up until all hours of the night maintaining the same level of quality in all that they do, many find that they reach a point of being overwhelmed. When they reach this point, they then have to make decisions about which activities will take priority and receive the high level of quality, and which will be compromised. Because these students are often the type to hold themselves to high standards and put a lot of pressure on themselves, this can be very hard for them to deal with.
That brings us to a tip on how to ensure all that you do is high quality. Do less but do it better. This isn’t advice for those producing at average quality; this is for the overachievers. You do not have to be in every club or sport. You don’t have to take extra classes and work an after school job. While you think that you are diversifying your resume and building skills, you might actually just be propelling yourself into early burnout.
If you find yourself overwhelmed by your commitments, take a serious look at your activities and try to eliminate the ones that are not directly helping you meet your career goals, or bringing you more joy than stress. Not everything you are involved in has to be a feeder activity into your future career field, but if it’s not helping you meet your goals and it isn’t fun, why are you doing it? Taking things off of your plate can help you stay focused on what matters and put your best effort into those things. That is how you maintain high quality work.
- Bria