College Degrees and Delayed Gratification by Karina

College Degrees and Delayed Gratification by Karina - October 2024 Scholarship Essay

I believe that if you can delay your gratification, you will be able to make the best future possible for yourself. In reality, almost all actions that do not delay your gratification, such as compulsive buying, eating healthy, or deciding not to do your daily workout, will not benefit your overall well-being. It is often the case that the easiest, and most commonly followed path, is the one that will take you the least fulfilling destinations. While on the other hand, the hardest, and least followed, path will usually take you towards a rewarding destination that also tends to inspire those around you. However, in order to reach a fulfilling level of accomplishment, or to be the best version of yourself, you must be able to delay your gratification of reaching that point. One of the common scenarios relating to this matter is in regard to education. Those who earn a college degree will have learned how to delay their gratification for success, resulting in countless experiences that they can recollect on throughout life as inspiration, and motivation when facing difficult hurdles that will require extensive effort to overcome.
Going to college is hard. College is not required, is usually far away from your family and friends, requires a lot of time and dedication, and is ultimately very expensive. After graduating high school, life may seem much simpler to become content working at your same job. This path may even be a good choice in the short run, but eventually individuals will get tired of the same minimal growth. If the frustration is not the job itself, they may wish they had more experiences, respect, or general knowledge regarding a particular subject of their interest. Seeking a college degree may not be an easy path, given all of the circumstances, but ultimately will result in so much more than a name on a fancy piece of paper. From connections made with professionals, to job security and satisfaction, to benefits, to your overall expansion of knowledge, the benefits of a college degree are limitless. Dedication in a challenging post-college career, and the ability to plan ahead to be prepared to face hardships are skills and benefits that result from mastering the ability to delay gratification.
Try to think of a time when you regretted delaying your gratification. Yes, in the moment, it was difficult, but after you were done with a hard task you were happy with your decision. Most people only regret their decision to attend college if they did not plan for their payments successfully. Aside from the direct benefits of a meaningful and useful education, college is an incremental tool that can teach you all of the benefits of delaying gratification. The more you study the better your future grade. Every year that you attend, more college education will typically result in a better career. Learning these unadvertised benefits that college offers will carry over into your future life, career, and family. Waiting a year to get married to grow together before the vows. Starting a savings account for your children though you could be using the money currently on yourself. Eating the vegetables though they may not taste as good. This skill can be used in any field, for the benefit of any species, and has the ability to completely change your future.
The best advantage of seeking a college degree is the ability to patiently wait for your happiness. Putting yourself through this challenging process will teach individuals to invest in their future, push themselves out of their comfort zone, and ultimately, delay their gratification.