Ramim Tarafdar, Period 2, 11/23/20, Day A

Ramim Tarafdar

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

    As of right now, my main goal is to find the perfect balance between my schoolwork, job responsibilities, and college applications. Simply being a senior in high school is stressful enough, but while working amidst a pandemic and having fully remote classes, the challenges have increased tenfold. I've been employed with Test & Trace since the start of this summer and with rising cases in Staten Island, I find myself burdened with added stress as the number of my responsibilities increase. Even after my 11am - 5pm shift, my job never ends with constant calls for handling shift changes and managing supplies. However, despite the troublesome workload, I take pride in the commitment I make. I try my absolute best to juggle all of these tasks on a day to day basis. I take my iPad with me to work to join the mandatory Zoom calls as I instruct workers on the day's procedures. Up until now, I've been able to keep a balance, with great help from my understanding directors, but I am gradually losing it. As the workload becomes heavier and the weather worsens, I'm finding it difficult to attend my classes and effectively conduct my role as a supervisor. The school schedule changes have also done nothing but make my life more difficult by throwing my work schedule into disarray.  The entire college application process has put on a bigger strain on me as well. In the last week, I fell behind in several classes as I prepped for alumni interviews and school deadlines. I understand that the key to getting through my issues is to plan accordingly and organize my priorities. My procrastination is a significant hurdle to cross while doing so, but if I take things one day at a time, I will definitely be well off in the long run.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

    I demonstrate my resilience towards achieving these goals through my efforts to complete my school responsibilities simultaneously as I am working. I take the initiative to join in my remote classes on my phone or my iPad as I am outside supervising my workers. I also act proactively to plan out my week through calendars as I am given assignments. I have always been someone who was disorganized when it came to keeping track of assignments. This year has been different as I consistently utilize Google Calendar to track my classes' work through color-coded tabs. By breaking down my days into checklists, I've found that I can stay on top of deadlines and not have to rush. However, I still have a horrible tendency to leave my work until the last possible moment, which sometimes leads to a snowball effect, where I lose all control. Going forward, I definitely have to regain that structure that I had so that I don't end up in a situation where I have too many things piled up.

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

   With the pandemic still being a major threat in the United States and our city, I feel confident in the work I am a part of. Although it is dangerous since I am traveling to high-risk neighborhoods, helping these communities in their time of need by distributing essential supplies gives me pride. This is one of the main reasons why I want to continue this job during the school year. I feel pride in the fact that I'm a part of a cause that has a genuine, positive impact on people's lives. It also gives me comfort when I work with my peers, who are in the same situation as me. We are all going through the struggle together of maintaining a work-school equilibrium while also applying for college. I am able to go to them when I feel particularly overwhelmed and need advice. Overall, I need to take a few steps back and look over my current situation, organizing my responsibilities in terms of priority. In doing so, I will be able to bring back the structure and balance into my life.