Tuesday, May 5, 2015

7: What is the Greatest Cost You Incur by Attending College?

“If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
- John Wooden


The one resource you consume in college that cannot ever be replaced is YOUR TIME.

The time you spend in college can never be recovered.  You are never likely to have the opportunity to grow, as a person, by so much in so little time.

Hence, use your time wisely. Study hard. Make the effort to do your assignments right the first time. Second chances are rare in college.

An Exercise for Using Your Time in College Wisely

First, watch this video (titled “Maybe, the most inspirational video ever….” At YouTube.com):  (2:37)

Second, compute how many days you will spend on campus before graduating with your planned degree. Record the number of days in your journal.

Third, spend three minutes each morning for the next seven days contemplating the answer to this single question: What can I do today to become a better person? Schedule a reminder on your smart phone for this task, for the next seven mornings.

A specific goal for a day might be as simple as “smile more often today”, “do an excellent job completing my assignment for my class”, “work ahead on a project,” or “enjoy the day as much as possible.” Write down your goal, or goals, for the day in your journal.

Then, at the end of the day, write down in your journal whether or not you achieved the specific goal(s) you established for that day.  If you achieved the goal(s), how do you feel about your accomplishment?  If you did not achieve the goal(s), why didn’t you?

Set a reminder in your smart phone, for each evening for the next seven days, to remind yourself to undertake your journal entries for this task.

Dr. Ron A. Rhoades is an Asst. Professor of Finance at Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business, where he chairs the (B.S. Finance) Financial Planning Program. An innovative, passionate teacher, he is the author of Choose to Succeed in College and in Life: Continously Improve, Persevere, and Enjoy the Journey (2014)from which many of these blog posts are derived.

Dr. Rhoades also serves as a consultant to the Garrett Planning Network, a nationwide network of independent, Fee-Only financial planners making competent, objective financial advice accessible to all people. He is the author of several books, dozens of articles, and he is a frequent speaker at financial planning and investments conferences. He is the recipient of many awards for his advocacy on behalf of the fiduciary standard. Dr. Rhoades is also a member of The Florida Bar, and he practices estate planning and transfer taxation for select current clients.

Dr. Rhoades and his wife, Cathy, reside in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

To contact Dr. Rhoades, please e-mail: WKUBear@gmail.com.

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