This I Believe

I believe in balance. I believe in the simple phrase “work hard, play hard”. This saying guided my through high school and is starting to pay off in college. This concept was first put into my head when my Grandpa said “Patrick you can only truly relax when all of your work is done”. What my Grandpa meant by this is that you cannot relax while in the back of your mind you are thinking about all the work you have to do. I believe that if I follow the words of my grandpa and balance my time wisely, I will be successful and happy.

During my freshman year of high school I had trouble balancing work and play. I learned the hard way that you cannot get good grades by partying all the time with your friends. I brought home the worst report card of my life my freshman year of high school. My parents realized that I had no sense of balance, and I was forced to transfer to another school. At this new school I discovered how to balance the time I work and the time I fooled around. I started to work hard while at school and right when I got home. By six o'clock I was done with my work and had time to participate in the activities I enjoyed doing. This was the start to my equilibrium between work and play. My grades rose, my parents got off my back, I still hung out with all my friends, and I was happy.

Now that I am in college I am glad I learned this lesson when I did. College can be a time when students don't balance their time well because of the huge adjustment. I am off to a strong start at John Carroll and it is due to how I have been balancing my time. I pay attention while in class, then go to the library where I study and finish my homework, and then relax. I am able to truly relax when I get back to my dorm because, like my Grandpa said, all of my work is done. However, during the weekends I am on a different schedule. I believe that sense I worked so hard during the week that I can “play” throughout the weekend. The balance that I currently have at John Carroll has worked out very well for me. I have been doing well in all of my classes and I am also having a lot of fun. I believe in balancing work and play.

Patrick Latcham

Patrick Latcham