Putting my marbles all in one bag: applying REA Harvard and that’s it 😁🤫😉

I want to start an new daily chain where I post a question and you guys answer it in the comments! Todays question is: What are some effective strategies you’ve used to balance a challenging course load with extracurricular activities and personal life?

Hello ya'll, I am a rising Freshman at my high school next month and I would need some guidance and help! Background: I am from a low income household and attend a public school in the mid-Atlantic region of the US. My school is pretty competitive, like we send 1 or two Ivy league students yearly. I have a deep interest in STEM with Physics, Math and Computer Science as my favorites. I don't have a ton of time because my family owns a family business so that takes up like 2-4 hrs on weekdays and 4-6 hrs on weekends Planning: I feel like I am too late in planning for a compact and competitive high school life for college admissions so I am trying to make the most of what I have left. I am not yet in high school but looking at my common app, I feel like I'm lacking in EC and Awards. I am a pretty top tier student I would say and I am definitely in the top 10% of my class. Solid contender for Valedictorian (Only lacking out because first and second place were home-schooled and they were able to take an extra year of world language before me). I am also a strong candidate for the presidency (lost by <10 votes). Obstacle 1- Going into high school, I plan on prioritizing Robotics and the state math league. I also want to participate in science fairs for physics or math but I am rather stuck because physics 1- needs large equipment and 2- being able to do projects require a lot of knowledge of the field and from the complicity of this field, I don't think I'll be able to learn enough in the limited time of high school. I have reached out to a professor and he has provided me a full year of physics in college but I can't understand it because I am only at an Algebra II/Trig level. Obstacle 2- I know that volunteering and community service should also be a part of my college application but I want to do something "meaningful." For example, a student going into med would most likely do work at a hospital or nursing home but what about a student going into CS? Physics? Math?

What do you find most challenging in your STEM studies right now?

Having an environment that's well conducive for learning enables more focus and drains less energy. Whether that may be in the case of time of preferred studying (morning, afternoon, evening?) Or the place where you study (desk? outdoors?) For me, I prefer to self study in the mornings, but during this summer I got into a late night swing with studying. Having my phone a good distance away is also helpful for me. In the evenings, especially when rain is falling, I love to have tea there. Adapting my study area helps to get me to want to sit there longer to study and overall helps my focus. What are your guys' ideal study conditions or 'preferred' conditions? (Is chocolate a must have during late night studying, lol)