Kernice Smith, a junior at THS, is hard-working and dedicated to success. Kernice is a very busy pupil who cheers, works, and goes to Governor’s school. With everything Kernice does, she still manages to have time to hangout with friends and family due to her terrific time-management skills.

Balance is a very important characteristic to Smith. She states, “I work a job at food lion on the weekends, I cheer, and attend Gov. School. Every morning I wake up at five as a part of my routine. When I am very busy after school I still manage time to do my homework or study which can result in me staying up until one or two in the morning. Time management helps me get through everything.”

Smith manages to do her school work usually after cheer practice or throughout the day, such as lunch. When she knows she has lots of work to do, she does not socialize as much and completes her work to decrease the time she will have to spend on her assignments that night. 

With a hectic schedule, it can be difficult to prioritize mental health. Smith stated, “When my crazy schedule first began, it definitely affected me mentally but I just had to keep pushing myself to get through the rough days. I kept myself motivated, and I can finally say after the first four weeks I am adjusted and everything is going smoothly when I figured out time management.”

Balancing our time for friends and family can be a difficult thing to do especially with a busy schedule. Smith said, “I have a planner that I schedule everything in.” She schedules her work days on the weekends along with all of her homework. She has a set time for everything, that way she knows if there is something she would like to attend, Smith can try to have her day planned out to make time for other chronicles.

Smith was expecting Gov. school to be a lot easier than it is.  What she was not expecting was the workload. Smith takes Pre-Calculus and a Reading class at Gov. School.  Both classes take an extreme amount of time and effort to get things done.

Some students might wonder what’s different between high school and Gov. School. Smith says, “I choose the Gov. School path to get me more prepared for college. I want to know how to manage my time and get work done. I want college to be an easy transition for me and I believe that Gov. School is already preparing me for that.”