Oprah Winfrey once said, “Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.”
Running has been compared to a variety of topics, and being a runner myself, I find these to be relatable and
intriguing. I look at running as the perfect metaphor to describe how I plan on managing my finances in college. With
my finances, I will need to set a goal and have a coach and strategy to assist me in reaching my desired results.
Like all accomplished runners, I must first set goals regarding my finances and then seek guidance from others to
help me reach them. The foremost goal is relatively simple, to leave college with as little debt as possible. But how to
accomplish this is where I need guidance. With running, I started out with an unknown future, but I relied on my
coaches, parents, and peers to learn from. In the same way, I plan on seeking knowledge and guidance from my
parents and other adults to assist me in making the decisions that will enable me to reach my set goal. I will also use
available resources such as those on 3riversfcu.org to gain wisdom from experienced professionals. Similar to a
coach, theses groups of people will be able to offer me assistance and encouragement in the process of maintaining
my finances.
After seeking guidance from my coaches, I will need to develop my race strategy regarding my finances. As a runner,
I know that the hard work I put in at practice is what enables me to compete during the race. Without the hard work
and dedication, I would not have been able to make the achievements I have made this far. My finances will require a
similar level of hard work and dedication. Properly managing finances though is not a sprint or even a 5k; it is a
marathon. Knowing this, I have attempted to strategize for the long run by pursuing various scholarships in order to
reduce the cost of college. I have realized that this is crucial due to today’s high tuition costs. I must save as much
fuel and energy early on in the race in order to have enough left to make it through the last couple of miles.
Not only must I strategize, but I also must compete during the financial race. One of the most common ways runners
compete during the race is by staying near the front of the pack. By doing so, this gives them the opportunity to stay
in the battle to win. With my finances, I must also remain at the front in order to make sure I’m not faced with the
consequences of falling behind. I know that the result of this could include penalties such as late fees, which would
lead to more debt. In order to remain at the front, I plan on avoiding as much debt as possible and only use student
loans as a last resort.
After the race is finished, it is time to review the results. Like with running, finance is all about numbers, and like my
former coach used to say, the watch doesn’t lie. The numbers given are measurable and will allow me to track my
progress moving forward or backward. I will be able to track my expenses and see whether my savings or debt is
growing or shrinking. After bad races in running, I must reflect on what went wrong and what I can do in future races
to make sure it doesn't happen again. Similarly, after reviewing the numbers my ledger provides, I will be able to
make adjustments to my strategy as necessary and plan accordingly.
As with running, you do get out of your finances the time and investment you put into them. Managing finances is no
simple task and that is apparent through the numerous college students who fall deep into debt. However, I am aware
that managing my finances throughout college and beyond will take time and commitment, but with people to help
coach me, a strategy to get me through the race, a technique to compete, and a reflection on my results, I am
confident that I will be able to conquer the marathon.