University Life VS. The Real World

Working all summer in different types of psychology and social work has really made the time fly by. One thing working has definitely shown me is how different working life is as compared to the life of someone who is primarily a student. One of the biggest shifts to adjust to was holding a nine to five job. I found myself going to bed earlier, waking up earlier on weekends, and it felt like my social life dramatically shifted. Deadlines are a little more concrete in the real world than I’ve really seen from university life. You need to be prepared for meetings and appointments much more than a paper is truly due at a certain time and date. Plus, you’re a lot more immediately accountable in the working world in the sense that you’re being paid to deliver a service and if you don’t, it directly impacts the clients or populations you work with. With grades, you’re really more serving yourself for your own personal development. Another thing I realized is how much more important co-workers are than classmates. I feel very luck in all of the places I’ve been working to have been surrounded by charismatic, caring, outgoing, and generally very incredible individuals who make going to work each day an experience I look forward to. With classmates, the relationships have mattered less because you’re not typically working together on a team to produce anything. I think the major similarity I’ve noticed between working and university life is that, personally, caring about what I’m doing it the biggest motivator. If I feel invested in what I’m working on, be it internships or course work, I feel motivated to work hard and actively participate in everything the opportunity has to offer. I think if I didn’t feel as passionately as I do about the Parenting Education Program or working at Metro, it would be a lot harder to get up everyday, venture out into the New Orleans heat, and work with trauma every hour of everyday, but luckily I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to see how fulfilling social work can be.