APPRECIATING THE VALUE OF TIME
Time is a valuable resource, perhaps your most valuable resource. You’ve likely heard the expression “Time is money.” Just as you don’t want to waste your money, you shouldn’t waste your time or the time of others. Did you ever make an appointment with someone who either forgot the appointment entirely or was very late? How did you feel? Were you upset or disappointed because the person wasted your time? Most of us have experienced the frustration of having someone else disrespect our time. In college, if you repeatedly arrive late for class or leave early, you are breaking the basic rules of politeness and showing a lack of respect for your instructors and your classmates.
Getting from Here to There
College students have the responsibility to get themselves to class on time and must plan transportation carefully, whether walking, driving, bicycling, ride-sharing, taking public transportation, or using another method of getting from place to place. If you have an emergency situation that causes you to run late, talk to your instructor. He or she will understand a real emergency and help you make up work you missed.
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Punctuality, or being on time, is expected in college, work, and elsewhere in our society. Being strictly on time may be a difficult adjustment for you if you grew up in a home or culture that is more flexible in its approach to time, but it is important to recognize the value of punctuality. Although you should not have to alter your cultural identity to succeed in college, you must be aware of the expectations that instructors typically have for students.
Here are a few basic guidelines for respectful behavior in class and in other interactions with instructors:
- Get to class on time. This means you need to get enough sleep at night so that you can wake up at a time that allows you to arrive in class early enough to take off your coat, shuffle through your backpack, and have your completed assignments and notebooks ready to go by the time the class starts.
- Be on time for scheduled appointments, such as during office hours.
- Avoid behaviors that show a lack of respect for both the instructor and other students, such as leaving class to answer your cell phone. Similarly, texting, doing homework for another class, falling asleep, or talking (even whispering) during a lecture are all considered rude.
- Make transportation plans in advance, and have a backup plan.
Not only is time management important for you, but it is also a way in which you show respect for your coworkers, friends, family, college instructors, and yourself. Can you think of the number of times you may have been late (one of the symptoms of procrastination) this week alone? Think back and then take the quiz shown here in Table 2.2:
TABLE 2.2
| Situation | Number of Times This Week |
| How many times were you late to class? | |
| How many times were you late for appointments/dates? | |
| How many times were you late for work, a carpool, or another job and/or responsibility? | |
| How many times were you so late returning an e-mail, phone call, or text that a problem resulted from this lateness? | |
| How many times were you late paying a bill or mailing any important document? | |
| How many times were you late getting to bed or waking up? | |
| TOTAL |
Did the total number of times you were late surprise you? Two to five incidences of being late in a week is fairly normal. Everyone is late sometimes. Being late more than eight times this week might indicate that you are avoiding situations and tasks that are unpleasant for you. Or maybe you find it difficult to wait for other people, and so you would rather have others wait for you. Try and think of lateness from the other person’s perspective. Getting more organized might help if you find that you don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done the way you think it should be. Position yourself for success and develop a reputation for being dependable!