COLUMN: Are you happy with the way you spend your time?
What’s Goin’ on Aggies?
This week we head into October. We are getting into the middle of the semester and time is crucial, especially with midterms coming up. In college as well as in life, one of the few things we have is time. Sometimes I forget how important time is, so I start to slack off in classes and responsibilities, etc.
I had a theater professor ask me once, “What is your purpose for being here?” Since then, I’ve been trying to figure that out. Somedays I get bits and pieces and others nothing, but all the while time is still ticking.
Where I’m from, Harlem, New York, you only make it out if your jumpshot is the best thing since sliced bread, or if you could sing like Beyoncé and rap like Hov then maybe – and that’s only a maybe.
I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship to USU, a university I had never heard of, back in ’09. This was because I had people around me who saw the greatness in me that I couldn’t see in myself. We’ve all been there, in our own individualistic journeys of life we have. We have been approached with an opportunity that has or had the power to alter our own lives. Some of us accepted it, and others rejected it, but ultimately we have to live with the decisions we make everyday.
The unifying theme I can trace through all of our lives is time. Do we spend enough time with our loved ones and studies, as we do playing video games and partying? Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying that the latter is bad, but when thinking about time lost versus time well spent, which one will give you the more permanent satisfaction?
The issue with studying, practicing and “putting in work,” is you won’t always see the fruits of your labor immediately. Whereas with partying and video gaming, you receive that immediate sense of fulfillment.
In my view, I would prefer to spend more time progressing myself and achieving my goals than sitting around and watching somebody else achieve theirs. We all have our own dreams and visions, etc. Some of the students I talk to want to become video game designers, start their own company or record an album, but it’s hard to do these things while maintaining a full-time college course load.
Here’s an example, I love Aggie athletics as much as the next guy. I’m a die-hard Aggie fan, but I’m learning in college no one holds you accountable for your own time. Whether you go to a game, a party or a concert, etc. Think about it, the next time you’re at a party watching DJ Wayne do what he loves, watching Chuckie play for the Heisman Trophy, or watching Dr. Bankhead conduct the USU symphony orchestra.
Are you really spending your time becoming the you that you want to be?
– T.J. is a senior majoring in music from Harlem, N.Y. He is a member of the A-Team, Black Student Union and various other clubs and groups on campus. Send any comments to anthony.pratt@aggiemail.usu.edu.