How to fit in school, a job, volunteering and still have time for riding?

Does your high school offer off campus athletics? If it does, DO IT. You won't be able to do field hockey, but it will allow you to leave school early, therefore giving you time for the other things. Make a schedule. You won't be volunteering at each of those places EVERY day, will you? No. So, organize the days and times that you will be doing what.

You can't do it all. I'm in high school and I tried and it just doesn't work. I am a competitive classical pianist. My homework takes 3-4 hours a night and I get home at 4:30 so I'm not done until 7-8. Then I practice piano until 11. So set priorities. Oh, I'm also a swimmer so I think you get the point. I don't ride anymore because I'm more focused on piano because I don't want a career with horses. If you want to be a vet then I would spend more time volunteering at clinics. Animal shelters are nice but you don't get as much medical experience. At a clinic, you can care for pets the same way that they get cared for at the shelter but you can also get involved with the medicine. The vet may let you sit in on appointments once you have been volunteering long enough. DO NOT get a job during high school! Unless your parents are making you pay for gas then you don't need one. You should babysit. Jobs take up all of your time and you won't get paid anymore working at American Eagle then you would make babysitting. Your job is to get good grades. I babysit once a month and make $100 a job. It's awesome and my hours are flexible because I decide what jobs I want to take. Most schools won't let you leave for lunch unless you can drive. Plus lunch breaks are pretty short and it would be a rushed ride. It will be difficult to find time to ride but I suggest riding at least 4 days a week. On the days that you don't have field hockey you should be riding. Make sure you can spend at least 2 hours at the barn. This will be doable as a freshman but once you are a sophomore forget it! Your riding time must be set in stone. I would also not ride on saturdays and ride on friday nights. You could ride for a few hours on Sundays. Don't leave school to go riding. Do it after school. So this is my schedule for you... Volunteering: Only on Saturdays. You should try to stay all day. Maybe you can spend half of the day at a clinic and the other half at a shelter. You should stick with that shelter and that clinic for the entire year. Pick a new clinic and shelter when you are a sophomore ect. School: Don't leave during the day. Start homework the second you get home. You need to block off at least 3 hours everyday(including saturdays!) for homework. Great grades are essential to become a vet. Riding- Four days a week- preferably five. Block of two hours during the weekday and no more than that. Don't ride on saturdays. Ride on Sundays and spend a good 3-4 hours at the barn. Field Hockey- I would go to the minimum amount of practices required. After all, you aren't planning on going pro. And make sure you are in bed no later than 10:30! Sleep is essential! And get rid of facebook, your phone, and yahoo answers. You won't have time. Schedule saturday nights for internet/ phone use.

Focus on school first. Period. You need to have a 3.5 or higher, preferably a 4.0 or higher to get in to some of the schools with vet programs. It's better to go to a college that already has a vet school than attend one that doesn't. A vet school shouldn't, but does, favor the students that went to their school for their BA. Keep in mind during college you will have to maintain a 4.0 to even be competitive for vet school. There are only 28 vet schools in the nation and over 1000 students applying for very few openings. Most don't get in their first year, it usually takes a few reapplications for them to get in. During HS focus on your grades. Pick 1 or 2 places to volunteer. I'm not sure about vet clinics where you're at but our clinics you usually can't volunteer at simply for the liability factor. Animal shelters and rescues are more like it. A rural vet would possibly allow a ride along a few times during the summer or even more. Focus most of your volunteer hours on the weekends and during breaks instead of during the week. You will receive most of your vet recommendations during your years at college. It's easier to be close to a lot of the teaching vets and easier for the vets in your area since class hours are more flexible than in high school. You could only go to school 3 days a week or go 5 days with light hours, etc. That gives more time to work and volunteer. Also, look at going to a community college for your first 2 years of college to get your AA. Basics are the basics anywhere for the most part and it's a great transition in to a 4 year school and will help you save money. It's typically easier to get scholarships to a community college than it is a 4 year school where they're more competitive. College is a lot different than high school so keep that in mind when you're thinking about what schools to go to. If you're looking to make a riding time I would suggest you start lessons now twice a week and get to showing in the AA and A riding circuits now because those are the kids that are actually competing, not just the people on the team. I also wouldn't plan on getting a riding scholarship that's going to pay for your school, academic scholarships are much more plentiful. Sometimes you have to make priorities. I dropped after playing 13 years of fastpitch to spend more time with my horses.

Well you say your volunteering time will eat up a lot of your riding time. How about finding a therapeutic riding stable to volunteer at? You will still be able to be around horses and you may even be able to board your horse at that location. You can help with the lessons for special needs children with is super rewarding, looks good on a resume, and will help you learn even more about horse behavior. Also, you might see about getting a job with an equine vet while you are earning your basics in college. I worked for a small animal vet who was on the admissions board for the local vet college, and he said experience is one of the most important aspects of acceptance. Most students applying had great grades but no experience.You would be better off with some B's on your transcript and some experience.

Good time managment skills and possibly having to drop some things that are not as important to you. YOu will always find ways to make time for the things you love even it if is in a reduced time frame.

Drop Voulenteering.

I'm currently a junior in high school, and it is tough, especially this year. I am taking AP courses though. I don't have time anymore for volunteering though, like I did last year, so instead I'm just going to volunteer a lot of summer, or find a place closer since this place was half a hour away. Its easy to fit in riding and homework I just have to stay up until 11 and wake up at 6, which isn't enough for me, but I need to get into college. I also own a horse though, so if you lease the schedule is more flexible, but I have to go every day to take care of him. I can finally drive now, so that helps a lot. I also got a summer job last year, but it was only in exchange for lessons, and my parents are nice enough to pay for most of my things. But if you plan everything out, you should be fine. Just don't volunteer more than twice and only get a part time job, and only lease a horse and ride 3 times a week. EDIT: this year is also especially tough for me because I have three teachers who don't know how to teach, and I am self-taught in those classes, and the classes are AP psych, Chem., and history.