On more than one occasion, my debate partner and I have gone into a debate meet entirely unprepared, having done minimal research and only having written our speeches and rebuttals the night before. While this hasn’t paid off every time, the meets where we go in with minimal preparation are often the debates in which we perform the best.

I credit this success to the power of spontaneity. Over-preparing can lead to over-thinking, which generally leads to unintentional self-sabotage. Some of my best ideas start as pure improvisation because I am forced to respond to the situation at hand without an understanding of what the “correct” response should be. By pursuing these ideas, I can explore avenues beyond conventional thought, a necessary step in generating innovative perspectives, opinions and decisions.

Learning to adapt to new or difficult circumstances while maintaining a facade of confidence is an important skill I learned throughout high school, and a skill that will serve me well as I continue in my academic career.

By developing comfort with sometimes improvising my work, I’ve granted myself a freer approach to my academics and extracurriculars. Certain assignments and activities do require deliberate effort and conscious attention to detail, but some tasks hold less weight and don’t require the same thorough intention. It is okay not to approach every responsibility with the same level of attention. I have found that it is critical for the sake of my mental balance that I prioritize certain things over others, and dedicate more time to the assignments that truly need the attention.

So, even though I sometimes craft debate arguments on the spot (sorry Ms. Ball), and participate in class discussions having only read the online summary of the chapter (sorry English Department), by embracing the practice of occasionally BS-ing my work, I have achieved success in all of my academic and extracurricular endeavors, and also prioritized a balance in my life.