Page 274 - Keys To Community College Success

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YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY

Complete the following on paper or in digital format.
Think about how you relate to money and why. Answer the following questions.
1. Do members of your family discuss f nances? If they do, what do they talk about? If they do not discuss f nances,
why do you think that is?
2. Do you spend money on things you want but do not need? If and when you do, how do you feel before, during,
and after the purchase? One week later?
3. How does the topic of money make you feel?
4. How often, and how regularly, do you actively manage your money?
5. What do you feel are your biggest problems with money?
6. Do you borrow money from friends or family? If so, how do you pay it back—on time or not, all at once or in
smaller amounts, not at all?
7. Do you talk with friends and family about money problems? Why or why not?
8. Based on your answers, how would you summarize your relationship with money in a short paragraph?

■ If you want a friend, be a friend. If you treat others with the kind of loyalty and
support that you appreciate, you are likely to receive the same in return.
■ Spend time with people you respect and admire. Life is too short to hang out with
people who bring you down or encourage you to ignore your values.
■ Work through tensions. Negative feelings can fester when left unspoken. Risk
discussing a problem as early as you can for a better chance at the reward of
solving it; then compromise, forgive, or move on.
■ Risk revealing yourself. It can be frightening to expose your dreams and frustra-
tions, to devote yourself to a friend, or to fall in love. However, if you open your-
self up, you stand to gain the incredible rewards of companionship.
■ Find a relationship style that suits you. Some students date exclusively and com-
mit early, and others date casually. Some students prefer to socialize in groups.
Some are in committed long-term partnerships. Be honest with yourself and others
about what you want in a relationship.
■ If a relationship fails, find ways to cope. When an important relationship with an
individual or a group becomes strained or breaks up, analyze the situation and
choose practical strategies to move on. Some people need time alone; others need
to be with friends and family. Some need a change of scene; some need to let off
steam with exercise or other activities. Whatever you do, in time you will emerge
from the experience stronger.

Plug into Communication Technology
without Losing Touch
Modern technology has revolutionized the way people communicate. You can call or
9 text on a mobile phone; write a note via email, instant message, or Twitter; communicate
CHAPTER 236 through blogs and chat rooms; use social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram,
and more. Although communication technology allows you to communicate faster, more