5 Struggles That Most Student Leaders Go Through

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1. Handling conflicts

Being in a school organization demands a good social relationship with everyone, especially with your fellow officers as you work hand-in-hand with them in most of your tasks. However, during discussions, conflicts may arise as a result of disagreements. But the real struggle in that is how to act professional and how to put aside your emotions while working with the person you’re in a conflict with. A student leader should always keep in mind that school organizations serve as a training ground for the corporate world; they know better that the corporate world requires 100% of professionalism.

2. Mastering the art of time management

You know it’s a tough day when you’ve got loads of org stuff to do – and it gets even tougher as you discover the pile of homeworks on your table which are all due the next day. I’m pretty sure that every student leader, like you, dread for this moment in your life. You might even worry which, where and how to start. But as a student leader, you should bear in mind that you must always prioritize your academics as you are first a student before a leader; your duties as an officer should only come next. Accomplishing both org stuff and school stuff at a limited time may sound impossible, but it all boils down to proper time management – which every student leader should master, or at least practice.

3. Sacrificing breaktimes to accomplish org-related stuff

It surely feels great to finally get a break from all the class discussions, especially when you hate the subjects you have for the day. However, student leaders often sacrifice their free periods/lunchbreaks in order to do org-related stuff. This is a sad reality for most of them as they cannot ignore their duties as officers. Finding time to accomplish these tasks in a packed schedule is difficult, and free periods might be their only chance to do it.

4. Going to school during weekends or free days for meetings and org discussions

There are times when you just can’t fit in all your tasks and meetings in just a day or two, especially when you are a part of a school organization. You are often compelled to set up or attend special meetings during weekends or freedays. But as much as it may feel annoying to use your weekend/free day for meetings instead of shopping with your friends or staying at home to play videogames and sleep, you really have no choice but to go since it was your own will to join the organization in the first place. If you can’t deal with that, it’s better to quit rather than making things hard for yourself because being a student leader is more than just doing your responsibilities in the organization – it also requires dedication.

5. Struggling financially

Endless meetings, discussions, and most especially events involve money. This is true for most student leaders as they spend a lot of time away from home. As your network of connection expands, it is inevitable to get invited to events which will help you get to know your members more and other people outside your organization – and this usually entails you to spend! There may come a time when you would worry about where to get the money in order to attend these events. But it is important for every student leader to know his/her limitations. He/she must know what to spend on and which events to attend and which to not.