Out in the working world

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Contributed photo

The most valuable ingredient to success in the world of students, lies within the cup of a highly caffeinated beverage. At least, that is what has been proven to be a complimentary formula that seemed to get us through morning classes and all nighters.

The idea of it all coming to the end as you snag that precious paper claiming your degree and moving onto the real world meant that scarfing down ramen noodles and developing irregular sleeping patterns would end and the life of being an “adult” would take over.

Now, 8 a.m. is considered a sleep-in and drinking two large cups of black coffee are considered “normal” in order to be functional. Peering down at my iPhone scrolling at my list of friends that I haven’t seen in weeks, the reality sets in: the same stress and habits developed in school never went away, except I just see my friends less.

Has this become the imminent future that young adults now must conquer? What have we learned in the past couple years at school that has prepped us for feeling balanced as newer and more serious challenges come into our paths?

Taking this new transformation as an exciting breath of fresh air, the new life shouldn’t lament what has been lost in the life of a student.

But the reality of priorities settle in and the struggle of balance that was semi-taught while living away on campus come back to haunt you. Starving student? No, but when starving and studying occurred, stepping into the concourse comforted a student’s stress as this “you are not alone” aura.

Everyday can be expected to reflect the same thing now: wakeup, work, eat, get ready for bed. Repeat. Is it July? Months don’t matter. The newly departed alumni are stuck in a tug-o-war of wanting to enjoy summer freedom and late night barbeques on Tuesday night, while knowing that work is in the morning and professionalism must be present.

But this new life was expected to roll up sooner or later. The minute we embraced our first week of O-Week, there was a sense that it would not last forever.

However, new joys exist. The idea of reconnecting with friends makes you value the time spent, earning and saving up for your future is scary but it enables self-entitlement and independence. Your dreams of wanting to challenge yourself in the career world come into play, and reading a book for pleasure becomes the most enjoyable thing in the world.

While the student life is missed from time to time, the trade-off, despite it reflecting similar stress and bad habits are worth it. Going to bed early doesn’t consider you boring.

Students, enjoy it while you can and get those crazy habits out of the way because it won’t last for long. But trust me, this new life is stressful but worth it. And eating real fruits and vegetables for energy is better than any bowl of ramen noodles.

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