Are You a Marshmallow Eater?

1. DETERMINATION: Are You a Marshmallow Eater? Do you want good things now, or would you rather wait longer for something better? The lesson in this is simple; it is better to work hard for the future than to seek what is satisfactory for the present. There have been many school assemblies on motivation, excellence and determination this year, and none of these are worth much if they are wasted on fixing problems in the present and disregarding the future. This can be said of staying in school to prepare for university, rather than leaving school as soon as possible to start earning money immediately- university opens up far more opportunities with the qualifications it comes with. Studies show that children who seek immediate gratification do far worse in later career than those who wait. This was shown by offering a children one marshmallow. They had the choice whether to eat it immediately, or wait for ten minutes on their own in a room before being given two. The children who ate it immediately grew up to have careers in which they made less money, such as cleaners and shop assistants, whereas those who waited earned more money in their career, working as doctors and lawyers. This does not work for everyone, with some seeking immediate solutions through desperation, however, if you have the opportunity to get better, why not wait a little longer?