An issue that matters to me is time management and being on time to scheduled meetings, appointments, and other commitments.Time management and timeliness not only allow a person to manage their life and activities, they also allow a person to be more organized and self-disciplined.

I am required to do work outside of meetings for the multiple extra-curricular activities I participate in, and I have to complete my homework. To maintain good grades, and complete all the other jobs required of me, excellent time management skills are necessary. I have acquired these skills  through self-discipline, careful planning and organization. Without these skills, I would be much more stressed and unable to do all that I do.
           

I participate in several  extracurricular activities in an officer/management-type role. I am required to attend about ten meetings per week to complete my responsibilities, and I am rarely late. One way I keep myself organized is to make sure that I am not double booked for meetings. . I also work with others that I rely on, such as my parents, to ensure that I am not late or do not miss anything. I also am constantly in communication with friends that participate in the same clubs as I do, as not to forget anything or commitment. I write down all of my meetings in my planner, which allows me to verify if I am available to schedule a meeting.
           

Running meetings, especially in the  morning, I see students trickling in at 8:15 or 8:20 am, when the meeting started at 8 am. Straggling into meetings that late, not only is disruptive, it also is not beneficial to the student or the group. Sleep as a high school student is extremely difficult to come by, and without enough sleep, getting up in the morning is a tiresome task. However, if time management skills are developed, sleep deprivation can be less of an issue, allowing for students to arrive at meetings on time. Starting this year, as a junior, I have had more and more homework, causing me to stay up later than I ever have before. I go to sleep as soon as all of my homework is done, and set my alarm very early, so I have time to wake up and get ready without rushing. Furthermore, from observation I have noticed that the students who trickle in, are less likely to write down their commitments and plan ahead. This suggests they are less likely to communicate with their ride, about when they need to be at a meeting, and at what time.
           

I grew up in an Indian household where there is a concept called Indian Standard Time (IST). This means, that when you schedule a meeting, or departure time, you add at least five to ten minutes to that time before you leave. For dinner parties, or less strict gathering times, the lateness factor increases by 30-45 minutes. At most Indian gatherings, you are considered early if you arrive at the time you were invited or even ten minutes later.  I have learned that though, the Indian Standard Time should only apply to Indian gatherings, it sometimes, in my family accidently translates to normal events and commitments. To deal with this, I set my departure times for events, meetings and appointments, with consideration to this late factor. This way, I arrive on time or early to my stuff. This is all a learned skill that I have developed, and will benefit me in the future.  Additionally, I communicate with my parents at the start of each week about when I need a ride and/or a car to be able to attend all commitments on time. Furthermore, I have two calendars in my house. One for my parents to see, that has all the meetings I need a ride to listed on it, and one for myself, with not only what I need to do, but also when everything is. By communicating with my ride, I am not wasting my own time by frantically trying to arrange a ride at the last minute, nor am I wasting the time of the other people I am meeting with by not being there.
           

Time management and timeliness are necessary for any person in their future, whether it relates to college, the working world, scheduling appointments, meetings or even social gatherings. Without these skills, a person will not be able to successfully live a happy stress free life. Taking time to write down your commitments and jobs, will not only help you remember what needs to be done, but if you forget you have it written down. A great tool to help with organization and timeliness is a phone. Almost every single phone available today has a calendar pre-installed, or an app available for download. Phone calendars are a great way to keep lists of homework that needs to be completed, commitments you must attend, and other things that need to be written down. If you cannot write it down on a phone, good old fashioned pen and paper is available in the form of a notebook or planner. Utilizing these tools, not only has made me more successful in high school, it is also preparing me for the outside world, and I believe that every person in the world should have good time management skills.