What you do (or don’t do) today and every day determines your future

Never seem to have time to really get ready for that next test or big assignment? If you answer “yes,” take this little quiz.

How many hours each day do you spend on these entertainments? 

Be honest. It’s important information for you.

• television
• cell phone
• face book
• music
• iPod
• computer games
• sports
• socializing with friends

How many hours do you spend each day on these tasks?

• studying & homework
• part-time job
• extra-curricular activities
• volunteering
• other responsibilities

Your assessment

Now rank the items according to their totals from most to least time spent.This assessment is your entertainment and work profile. It’s important. It defines your life in terms of interest, activities, jobs, and goals. You are what you do, and what you accomplish.

Why it’s important

Does time slip through your fingers despite your good intentions? Don’t let daily and weekly activities control you. You want to be in control. That means you must get organized, set your priorities, get things done, and control your time.

Fun, entertainment, and relaxation should be part of your life. However, at your age, you must begin organizing your life so that important things are not neglected. They have their place in your day, too. They control your future.

Links to your future

If your education/study time is being squeezed out of your days, you’re headed for trouble. Your future is at risk. Most students don’t realize it.

Give studying the time it deserves. You may not have to spend as much time studying as on a part-time job or team sports. But you need to do a good job of studying, learning, and retaining information long-term—to prepare you for more difficult courses ahead and life in a job. Knowledgeable people who can learn efficiently are those who will succeed in the 21st century as the Information Age accelerates. You’ll need a sharp mind for reading, remembering, analyzing, drawing accurate conclusions, writing reports, and meeting deadlines.

The hard truth: If your education takes a back seat in your life now, you’ll never find yourself behind the wheel of your own car—a college degree, job, profession, salary, opportunities.