how did you like adjusting from college life to the REAL WORLD?

[datalink7]

Originally posted by: LOLyourFace
"College to Real World" is nothing but an exaggeration IMO. It only applies to sheltered fools that have no life outside of school and no work experience.

Most of us are diligently working part time during academic years and full time during summer. That IS the real world basically. It's just my petpeeve when ppl say that..

"You don't know what it like out there when you're out of college... "

plz.. those are said by older generations that haven't had a clue.

Exactly. I started a 12 hour a week job right as I went into summer vacation, and just landed a full time job (2 weeks later) at McDonalds (woohoo! ). So I'll be working from about 8:00 in the morning till 9:30 at night monday-thursday, and then some extra hours friday, saturday. I'll probably have sunday off but I'll be "on call" so probably not all the time.

No summer for me

 

[joohang]

Originally posted by: OuterSquare
A couple more thoughts;

People usually say take a career in something you enjoy. I'm not sure I agree. If you do that, what you enjoy eventually becomes a tedious freaking pain in the ass. I used to enjoy building computers which is how I found ATOT. But after I held two jobs, one as a computer tech and one as a photochop editor, I freaking hate working on computers now. Not that long ago my computer went on the fritz and I just left it sitting around busted for a week because I hate working on these stupid machines now.


Solution? Find new interests, get a job in that, burn yourself out, and find a new interest.

I usually strongly argue that people should get a career in something they enjoy because otherwise they are lying to themselves. To me, there is nothing worse I can do to myself than being dishonest to my desires and emotions.

About the "burning out" problem, this happens to a lot of people. A possible solution to that (for me) is to align myself to investigate more about myself and pursue what I want. It involves constant questioning and thinking into deep inside me on what exactly I want and what are blocking me from pursuing them.

For example, if I realize that I am working 14 hours a day and doing nothing to relax and take care of myself, I am not loving myself. The fix in this case is to investigate on ways to love myself more and ask for help if I am unsure what to do. This could involve meeting with my boss to ask for a vacation, or could be something as simple as walking down to Walmart and buy a GameCube.

If I ever have a major career switch, it's probably because I have huge interests in both or because I made a mistake with my first career decision.

About not fixing your broken computer, I am doing exactly same thing you are. I have two motherboards and CPUs that sat next to me for two weeks. I don't think that it has anything to do with my sudden drop in interests in computer hardware. It has more to do with me not needing and not really wanting to fix those. It could also be that I enjoy the feeling of upgrading to a speedier system - some sort of feeling of success - than messing around with jumpers, BIOS settings, adjusting coolers, getting cuts in my fingers, etc.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: weezergirl
Ok, actually I study full time while working 2 part-time jobs (and am broke at the end of the month ) and i'm having a hard time adjusting. at least with studying while going to school you get breaks and go to class and get to see your friends. but at my job it's like there's not that many young people and it's non stop work from 8 to 5. it's just weird for me i guess.

Oh hey kim, here's an idea for you! I have a friend who's the easy going free spirit kind of girl, who likes to just play. I've asked her what she kind of work she hopes to do later and get this; she wants to stay in school forever!

Not as a student though, work as a counselor or a professor. For example, there is kind of an asian american center on campus and the coordinator there has a pretty easy going time. The center is called APISC, it's a cozy little lounge/office where everyone hangs. Asian american stuff gets organized there and Dora (the coordinator) is in charge, who seems to have it fairly easy and laid back. She gets her own office, semi kitchen, etc. Although pay probably isn't great, cool, easy, fun job. You meet lots of people too.

Might not be for you though, you have to be outgoing to do that and you seem like a shy girl. I'm just passing ideas along though, you can never have too many.

 

[tcsenter]

College to Real World" is nothing but an exaggeration IMO. It only applies to sheltered fools that have no life outside of school and no work experience...Most of us are diligently working part time during academic years and full time during summer. That IS the real world basically. It's just my petpeeve when ppl say that...

hehe, and you'll be fool #143,973,984 who believed the same thing...until they get out of college and find out for themselves.

Who pays your:

-car payments (including the down payment)
-car insurance
-fuel, mainentance, and repairs
-tuition, books, supplies, lab fees, etc.
-clothing
-food
-medical and dental bills
-housing (room and board, rent, or mortgage payment)
-maintenance and repairs on your domicile
-furnishings for your domicile
-renters or homeowners insurance
-utilities, phone, cable, etc.
-credit card charges
-discretionary and entertainment expenses (movies, dinner, concerts, music CD's, airline tickets, and other nifty personal luxuries)
-who does your laundry, cleaning, meal preparation, shopping, taxes, etc.

Don't tell us you make enough money during the summer to pay all of these things the rest of the year? Many people are still receiving breaks and financial help from their parents years after graduating college; to buy their first home, when their car breaks down, a little 'extra' Christmas money, when they get themselves into a financial bind, when they quit a job, get laid-off or fired, etc. If that is your standard of comparison, and you know you can suckle from the parental tit years after you've graduated college, then I suppose your opinion is valid from your perspective.

Many of the people who say 'wait until you get into the real world' had no one to help them or fall back on, nobody to call and ask for money when their car needed repairs, when their furnace or washer died, when they came up short for the rent or mortgage payment, coming up with a down payment on their first home, when they found themselves requiring some dental or medical treatment, and a hundred other realities of life.

You haven't lived until you have had to make some very tough choices like 'do I visit the dentist to have this absessed tooth pulled and be short on the rent, or do I pay the rent and live with a bad tooth for a couple more months?' That's reality. If your reality is 'Mom, I need some money to see the dentist', then I'd expect you to scoff at those coming from a different perspective.

 

[Juniper]

weezergirl, I just graduated from uni myself. At first it was pure bliss: no more classes. Then it hit me hard: I don't know what to do yet with my life, or where to spend the rest of it.

Now Im just doing some part time (thank god for that), and going back home for a while to reflect on what I really wanna do in my life.

Cheers. I hope you get used to it.

 

[CrazyDe1]

Well...I'm not out of college yet, but I have a few friends that are. One friend saved up 12k from an internship he had for about a year and a half and hes being a bum for awhile(he was offered a job payin 65k but turned it down because he didn't like the job description). Another just graduated with a cs degree and got a job w/ a real estate firm. Judging from what I'm doin this summer and from what they're doin, real worlds gonna be fun as hell...everythings basically the same as college for both of them only they don't worry about money...

One friend went from makin nothin and bummin off his parents to 15 an hour and still livin at home so that he can buy a bunch of nice stuff before he moves out...so basically he makes 15 an hour and he gets all the money to go blow on fun. He just bought a new cerwin vega sub, 8 dvds, and an xbox. He used to not have enough money for late night taco bell runs and now he eats like a king and never has to worry about spendin money. He does the same thing as before he got out of school..works, goes home, drinks with all of us, goes to bed at 3, gets up goes to work again...recovers on teh weekends...

I'll probably get some job payin about 50k...live in a house w/ a bunch of friends...tightass bachelor pad...pay like 500 a month for rent and bills, 300 for food, 500 for emergencies, have around 2500 to blow on things...I mean, what the hell do I buy for 2500 bucks? The way I'm livin now I'm basically livin on 1000 bucks a month, 500 rent, 250 food, 150 for beer and fun...in other words lifes gonna be the same you just dont' have to worry about homework or studying after classes. I mean once you're done for the day you're done for the day...the only difference is you have all this free time after work and all this money to spend on fun...I mean right now I pay off all my CCs, payed for my car w/ cash so I don't have car payments, pay for insurance.

 

[Triumph]

I HATE REALITY!!!

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: weezergirl
I know I should just be happy I even have a job (well it's just an internship but is supposedly going to turn into a full time job when I graduate in December) but just getting a taste of this 8 to 5 thing is a bit shocking to me and i don't like it.

i want my mom and daaaaaad.

*whine*

Work sucks,,,that why they pay you for it sweetie

Perhaps you needed an Mrs. instead of a BS? j/k (old fraternity joke)

 

[lRageATMl]

I've held a full time job (granted every summer) for the last 5 years in the computer tech world (i'm 21 now). And I still love computers....although cars are starting to out weigh it.

I hate it when I first start working, but I suck it up and get used to it. I think the key thing to havin a good job is working with people you like.