Time is money

When you have a job, the saying is trite, but in high school, it is remarkably apt. For us, time is money. Because we don't earn our livings, even if some of us do work a bit, money is used for treats - concerts, travel to a friend's house, afternoon tea at a cafe, gifts. We don't really need to pay attention to what money we have and how we spend it, although it is certainly wise to do so. Our equivalent currency is time. Every activity must be weighed in terms of the time investment. It is expensive to live far from school, because we lose hours in travel. Extra-curricular activities are also expensive. School is a necessary investment, like rent - our lifestyle requires it. Procrastination is spending unwisely on toys and gadgets. When I help somebody with their homework, or something I don't understand, I have given something away - not knowledge, because that never leaves you, or money, because I wouldn't be paid, but the time that I have spent teaching them, which I might have spent on my own work. I choose to make an investment in friendships, because I feel I gain something worthwhile from them. I cannot yet effectively avoid procrastination, but I wish I could, because I know it's a waste. Unlike money, however, we are forced to spend our time rather than save it. It's a little sad to realise, but where money comes and goes, time just goes.