The Pay-Off is Not Now, It's Later by Tommy

The Pay-Off is Not Now, It's Later by Tommy - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

As I look back on my school years, I remember times when I wanted to skip work, not work as hard, or did not see benefit in the work I was doing for class. Often, younger kids just don't see how their elementary or middle school work matters when it comes to high school or their futures. The advice I would offer to younger kids is this: Remember that you work hard to build work ethic when you are younger to help build educational and mental stamina when you are older.

What this means is that perhaps the coloring, adding and subtracting, or gym class may not seem like things worth working hard to do. How many times has a student asked "But when am I going to USE this when I'm older?" As I got older, I realized it was not about the coloring, math, or dodge ball in gym. It was about learning to follow through on things, to get other sides of the brain working, and to build physical and mental stamina. It's about learning to do things on your own, and being successful at it. Parents and teachers will not always be there to help; it's their job to give you the skills and then let you use those skills on your own.

When you skip doing work because it's boring or difficult, or goof off because the task does not seem important in the present, you lose out on learning what it feels like to not quit and to do things that have a bigger reward in the future. Each student's "reward" is different. For some, it's recognition. For others, it's a monetary reward at home. For those that have the ability to see further into the future, the reward is the acceptance into a class, club, sport, or dream college.

Remember that you can become the person of your choosing by molding and creating yourself in the way you want to be, starting from the time of being a young child. But, if that is something you never picked up on before, you have not missed your chance. Every day is a day to change regardless of how old you are. Life is decades of opportunities; if you miss one or make a mistake, then it was not meant to be. Be on the lookout for the next opportunity. In the meantime, always be one step above the best person, best student, best athlete you can be. The pay-off will be immeasurable.