graduates: do you prefer your work life or your previous school life?

[gorcorps]

And by work life I mean full time, already graduated career-type work.

Do you prefer your current life of work, where you're committed to quite a number of hours in a week but at least you're getting paid for them... or do you yearn for your school days when money was probably tight, but you were most likely having fun?

I'm a fan of working. School for me was nothing more than a frustrating stepping stone to a fairly well paying career. While I do miss the people and the good times I had, those good times were fairly limited by money and also always had a bit of stress knowing the shit I had due within the next week. It's probably a lot to do with how I went to a smaller engineering only school with a very low population of teh females, but the fact remains that I don't mind spending more time working to actually MAKE money. And those hours are stress free compared to school.

 

[HAL9000]

I preferred school life, that's why I returned to school.

 

[Jumpem]

Work life by far. Much more free time, much less stress, much more money.

 

[HAL9000]

Work life by far. Much more free time, much less stress, much more money.

Couple of questions, you have more time?! What job do you do? You have less stress?! What job do you do?

 

[Jumpem]

Couple of questions, you have more time?! What job do you do? You have less stress?! What job do you do?

I'm a software engineer. I rarely work any overtime. My job isn't really stressful to me.

In school, I spent almost all of my time outside of class studying or working on projects. I didn't even have time for a part-time job after my first year. Studying and trying to memorize everything for tests constantly really stressed me.

 

[zerocool84]

School because your only worries were classes and how much beer to drink before she looks good.

 

[Farmer]

Uhh, school life.

It felt much more meaningful.

 

[HAL9000]

I'm a software engineer. I rarely work any overtime. My job isn't really stressful to me.

In school, I spent almost all of my time outside of class studying or working on projects. I didn't even have time for a part-time job after my first year. Studying and trying to memorize everything for tests constantly really stressed me.

Oh fair enough, I was under the impression the guy was talking University, In which case I'm at Uni 6 hours a week...

 

[Jumpem]

Oh fair enough, I was under the impression the guy was talking University, In which case I'm at Uni 6 hours a week...

Uni? As in college/university? That's what I was referring to as well.

 

[gorcorps]

I'm a software engineer. I rarely work any overtime. My job isn't really stressful to me.

In school, I spent almost all of my time outside of class studying or working on projects. I didn't even have time for a part-time job after my first year. Studying and trying to memorize everything for tests constantly really stressed me.

This is how it was for me as well, and why work is better. Even during some weekends I had too much school stuff to do to really drink much.

 

[Fenixgoon]

work. i get paid. school did not pay me.

 

[moshquerade]

i would say work as well.
college was no Animal House for me. i had to really study, and no blowing off classes.

 

[Exterous]

Tough call but the first 2 years of college were the best years of my life

-The entire hall became great friends and at any given time of the day you could walk down the coed floor and find someone to hang out with
-Didn't hurt that there were 4 girls for every guy in the dorm and the all girls dorm was right next door
-No need to pay bills - just deal with the student loans later
-Someone cooks for you and makes a lot of options
-Easy (easy) classes
-Done by noon on Thursday

Of course the last 2 years could not have been more different - those I would not want to repeat

 

[Imp]

School. Doing my master's now, and hating the stress, but loving it at the same time. It's what I've known for over 20 years, lot of new people, everything changes every 5 months or a year (new classes, people).

Work's nice. I get money. I also do roughly the same thing daily, and I have (had) more free time than I ever had.

 

[slpaulson]

I much prefer the working world.
College was a lot more stressful than work is. I have a lot more free time, mobility, and money now. The only thing I miss is sleeping in late.

 

[yllus]

Work. Software developer, 35 hours a week flat. Making money is good.

 

[Chaotic42]

Hard to say. I've gone back to school, and I love it, but I also love not living paycheck to paycheck.

 

[HAL9000]

Uni? As in college/university? That's what I was referring to as well.

Yeah, so how many hours a week did you spend at uni?

 

[Jumpem]

Yeah, so how many hours a week did you spend at uni?

Class was 12-18 hours. Add in all of the time in the library, computer labs, etc and it was 40-60. Then add in all of the homework, studying, and projects. I had little free time; and what I did have I still spent worrying about what I had to get done next.

 

[HAL9000]

Class was 12-18 hours. Add in all of the time in the library, computer labs, etc and it was 40-60. Then add in all of the homework, studying, and projects. I had little free time; and what I did have I still spent worrying about what I had to get done next.

Ouch. That sounds like more commitment than my approach

 

[nonameo]

LOL, where is the "neither" option?

 

[Ghiddy]

I can't wait to go back to school. I never get to work on "fun" stuff anymore. WOrk life is filled with stress and deadlines. There is a lot of appeal in being a perpetual student. Except for the part where you have to commit to producing results (past the u-grad level).

 

[purbeast0]

only thing i miss about school is how time didn't seem to fly by like it does now. weeks go by so damn fast now and just seems that time is flying by a lot faster now than it was before.

i do enjoy making money and stuff so that i can travel and just do whatever i want.

i do enjoy my job though, and i don't feel very stressed and never work more than 40 hours a week.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

I preferred the social life while I was in school, compared to the non-existent social life I have now, while also being unemployed...
Although all my friends were outside of school, nobody from school cared to socialize outside of there.
But I miss the better times, having a relationship, and friends. Always drunk/high, every day was like a party. Although my grades suffered, horribly. Which is why it took almost 4 years to complete an associates...
If could have gotten steady employment & moved out, I could have saved my relationship of 8 years before it fell apart in my face.
Yea, I'd rather be working all day every day. While I'm still young, dumb & have energy to burn. And don't have a social life... But nobody seems to want a hardcore worker like me on their team.

I plan to get back in school soon as I find steady employment & move out.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I thought that once I graduated I'd get a job to make some money and then have some free time again.

Well, I got a job, I do make money, but my bills increased so I still don't have much left over and I'm busier than ever