Juggling the workload of a full-time class schedule is enough responsibility for many students, even to the point where “F.M.L.” is occasionally screamed. Add a part-time job on top of that, and you’re officially a busy person. For senior biology major Josephine Odeibea, that was the story of her life — and then some.
During the 2011 summer, Odeibea worked as a patient access for Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, took two summer classes, participated in the Stepping Stones program, and worked part-time at Sunglass Hut. The icing on top of her cake — she had to commute between Gaithersburg, Md. and College Park every day to do so.
Before she could get home to relax, spend time with her five-year-old brother and enjoy a good meal, Odeibea would spend a guesstimated 14 hours of pure work each day, not including the extra hours needed to complete class assignments. The transition into a fast-paced life of constantly filling the gas tank, sleepless nights and ER drama, can become discouraging. Odeibea admits that there were times when she wanted to give up.
“I wasn’t sleeping,” Odeibea said. “I was constantly on the road, which is not the safest place to be all the time, but I didn’t have any choice.” It was her mother who reminded her that taking care of her responsibilities is not an option. “My mom would always come to me and tell me that, ‘I know this is hard, but if you want something, you have to work hard for it.’ That’s just life.” Accepting her mother’s words of wisdom, Odeibea knew she couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to explore the medical field and when she felt stressed, she channeled that energy toward her work. Before she knew it, summer break came to an end.
Entering her senior year, Odeibea has made a few changes. She no longer works at Sunglass Hut and gave up the Stepping Stones program for the Scribe Program, where she works 20 hours a week assisting doctors. Splitting her time between the hospital and her school schedule, Odeibea is confident that her summer experience prepared her for balancing out this year’s responsibilities.
In fact, she admits, “If I had to give myself some advice four years ago before college, I’d say I’d probably should have started doing this a while ago,” Odeiba said. “The earlier you do it, the better because you want to be as well-rounded as you can. It’s going to benefit you in the end.” Humbled in her passion, Odeibea, stresses that she is, by no means, a “super student.”
“Just because I have jobs doesn’t mean I’m a super student,” Odeibea said. “I do it because I like it. I see it as helping me grow into what I want to be.” She offers a few words of advice for other students: Get out there and see what you’re capable of doing. You’ll never know what your limit is and what potential you have. The first step is to just do it.