“I do a lot of extracurriculars outside of school… I’m usually at B-CC till 8 or 9 pm,” said freshman Ella Lipscomb.

Whether with friends or by themselves, Barons are constantly roaming the streets of Bethesda or swaddled up in their homes, cramming in daily responsibilities after school hours. Students strive for productivity but are often overwhelmed by responsibilities and commitments outside the classroom. 

 The biggest misconception of productivity is that it is a never-ending grind to get work done when being productive is very different for everyone. The commonality is self-satisfaction. 

A productive day is not easily defined, but when students and teachers alike do not have the satisfaction of crossing things off their to-do lists, it can become overwhelming and deteriorate their mental health. Ms. Mahoney shares that it feels good to be productive, saying, “I feel balanced, grounded, and happy when productive. But this is only because I have realized that I never complete all I have to do, so I am learning to prioritize what I think I have to do and what others think I have to do.” 

Many juniors spend the majority of their afternoons on the academic grind. Junior Rebeca Ventura goes to the library after school most days. “I’m ten times more productive at the library than anywhere else,” said Ventura. As homework piles up, distraction-free environments are necessary, and Connie Morella’s library is a place where Ventura feels the most productive. “Even though I am so much more productive at the library, I still find myself going home doing more homework. It’s a never-ending cycle of work, and I feel like I can never catch a break,” concluded Ventura. 

Senior James Bellew is an active member of the chamber singers at B-CC. “Chamber sing[ing] is a big commitment and involves setting aside much time to practice to perform your best,” said Bellew, who has demonstrated hard work and dedication to multiple activities throughout his high school experience.

Some B-CC freshmen find their afternoons filled with extracurricular activities, despite being newcomers to high school. Lipscomb also stated, “I’ll try to cram in my homework when I have free time during the school day. Typically, after school, I either have robotics or rocketry, where I’m constructing robots or launching rockets.” Her work is consistently demanding, but not a day goes by when she regrets her decision to participate in these activities as she loves challenging herself. 

After talking to teachers and students at B-CC, it is evident that productivity has different meanings for different people, largely centering on these two ideas: getting work done or living a balanced life. Surely, productivity, by definition, means getting things done, and whether the “things” on your to-do list are relaxing, educational, or social, depending on your goals, it doesn’t make you more or less productive. What is important is that you end the day fulfilled.