It's almost been 2 year since college graduation and I have found an ever-increasing list of differences from my in school and my life now.
Here are some signs that you're definitely not in college anymore...
The Bad News
1) When you're sick you can't just go to the Health Center to get meds and a note.
2) Sleeping in means 8am, not 4pm.
3) Commuting
4) You can't just nap any time you want (although I usually manage to on my commute). There aren't breaks between meetings, like there are between classes.
5) You can't just skip a day of work, especially if you're a freelancer. You work, you're paid. No work, no pay.
6) You can no longer just roll out of bed and go to class in your pajamas or sweatpants. Business attire and appropriate shoes (not flip flops) must be worn.
7) Lunch is not spent chatting with friends between classes at the IK. It usually means spending $10-$15 to eat at your desk and continue working.
8) You have to make plans, sometimes weeks in advance, to see people or even to talk to them on the phone. No more running into people on campus.
9) There's no such thing as "wildcard money" or "campus cash". If you want it, you pay for it with your own real-life money.
10) Homework means you didn't get it done during the regular work week and you probably have a deadline to meet.
11) There's is no dismissal time for work, like there is for class. You work until work is done.
12) Summer's just another season.
13) No such thing as a 'snow day'. There is the rare case where the entire transit system is shut down, in which case you work from home.
14) Student loans
15) The incessant calls from your university's donation telethon. ("I'm sorry but I can't donate any money to you guys until I'm out of debt and done paying you for my education.")
16) Parties are restricted to holidays and special occasions.
17) Taxes. You are no longer a dependent. Get used to it.
18) Rent. Either you pay a landlord, or in my case, you pay your parents. Not in cash, in fealty. (Look it up. You'll understand).
But fear not because not all is lost. There are some definite perks to life after college.
The Good News
1) Paychecks
2) No papers, tests or daily homework.
3) Vacation days. If you have the money, you can find the time, anytime.
4) Promotions
5) Pay raises
6) There's always an intern below you.
7) Hopefully you're doing something you enjoy instead of taking 'core classes' like Theology or Philosophy (unless you're a Philosophy or Theology major in which case I'm glad somebody enjoyed those classes)
8) Weekends are weekends and are not interrupted by work due the following week.
9) If you want to go out after work, you can. If you want to go home and watch TV on the couch, go for it.
10) Having a drink at dinner is classy and well-deserved after a day at work, where in college you were a drunk if you started drinking before 9pm.
11)You can begin to knock things off your 'bucket list'. Why yes I do want to go zip-lining through the rain forest, or take a yacht to island hop through Greece.
12) Freedom. You're an adult. Even if your parents tell you to do something, you're of an age where you can make your own decisions and not get grounded for it.
13) Age begins to be meaningless. When your in college the difference between 20 and 21 seems like light-years in time and experience. After school, the difference between 24 and 34 is a digit (and possibly a marriage or two).
14) Time with friends is meaningful and cherished. A phone call or a lunch date is never taken for granted.
15) The world is your oyster. I'm thinking about moving to the UK for at least a year. And why not? Sure, I have to get a visa and all, but I'm young, unattached and monetarily independent.
There are also some realities of post-grad life that can be viewed as either good or bad, depending on your perspective.
For instance, weddings. People start getting married which means great parties and reunions with friends. However, the downside is that weddings also bring along the pressures of the ever-present future and all the expenditures (dress, jewelry, travel, gift, shoes, flowers).
It may seem like the bad out weighs the good but really it's just an adjustment that you have to get used to. And believe me paychecks make almost anything better.
I'll be sure to update this growing list as I encounter the good, the bad and the in-between of post grad life. Have any suggestions of additions, let me know.
Showing posts with label Observation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Observation. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Friday, June 10, 2011
Symptoms of Workaholism
I have come to realize that in this difficult world of interning and PA-ing, a highly competitive industry, that it is easy to begin overworking. I currently find myself sitting on a PATH train bound for Hoboken at 8:10pm on a Friday night after 10+ hours at the office with the prospect of a few more work-related emails and phone calls tonight, a few hours of work tomorrow and plans to show up early at the office Monday for a shoot.
I have also made no social plans for the entire weekend. True that's mostly due to my need to rest and kick this nasty cold of mine but I cannot help but notice the total lack of balance and continuity that such a statement brings about. If I'm so sick and tired why did I volunteer to assist one of the producers with their rough cut script? Couldn't that time be better spent carousing?
There are very apparent warnings signs of alcoholism as described by many medical professionals. However, I find that there is a lack of research done in respect to another American plague: workaholism.
Clearly if you can be a "workaholic" then you can suffer from "workaholism".
I have taken it upon myself to aide in the diagnosis of these undetected cases of "all work and no play".
In order to demonstrate the realities of this epidemic I have taken an excerpt about signs and symptoms of alcoholism and reversed certain key words\. For example, every time the word 'drink' or 'drinking' appears I have replaced it with 'work' or 'working'. Likewise, for a sentence like "person is shirking their responsibilities in order to drink" I would change it to "person is shirking their drinking in order to work". Because a true workaholic frequently blows off their friends and social events in order to work.
So here it is.....
There are many signs and symptoms related to working problems. Workaholism is considered a progressive disease, meaning that the symptoms and effects of working become increasingly more severe over time.
Yikes. No thanks.
So if you have positively diagnosed yourself as a workaholic suffering from workaholism here's your treatment.
1. Turn off your laptop/blackberry/smart phone/work cell/pager/PDA (however the office contacts you)
2. Find a friend - provided you haven't completely cut yourself off from all of them (maybe you should call them before you turn off your phone)
3. Have friend (replace 'friend' with 'local bartender' if necessary) remind you how to have fun. *
4. Do yourself a favor and don't switch from one addiction for another.
*if you or your friend are at a loss, try alcohol. Other "holics" swear by it.
I have also made no social plans for the entire weekend. True that's mostly due to my need to rest and kick this nasty cold of mine but I cannot help but notice the total lack of balance and continuity that such a statement brings about. If I'm so sick and tired why did I volunteer to assist one of the producers with their rough cut script? Couldn't that time be better spent carousing?
There are very apparent warnings signs of alcoholism as described by many medical professionals. However, I find that there is a lack of research done in respect to another American plague: workaholism.
Clearly if you can be a "workaholic" then you can suffer from "workaholism".
I have taken it upon myself to aide in the diagnosis of these undetected cases of "all work and no play".
In order to demonstrate the realities of this epidemic I have taken an excerpt about signs and symptoms of alcoholism and reversed certain key words\. For example, every time the word 'drink' or 'drinking' appears I have replaced it with 'work' or 'working'. Likewise, for a sentence like "person is shirking their responsibilities in order to drink" I would change it to "person is shirking their drinking in order to work". Because a true workaholic frequently blows off their friends and social events in order to work.
So here it is.....
Signs and Symptoms of Workaholism
There are many signs and symptoms related to working problems. Workaholism is considered a progressive disease, meaning that the symptoms and effects of working become increasingly more severe over time.
Those who over-work may begin to show early signs of a problem, then progress to showing symptoms of work abuse; if working continues, they may later show symptoms of workaholism or work dependence.
Early Signs of a Problem
Early signs of workaholism include frequent overtime, an established pattern of heavy working and working in dangerous situations, such as when driving [One word. Bluetooth.]. Other early signs of workaholism include black-out working ["Oh, wow I didn't mean to miss - insert landmark event (Example: birth of my first-born child)- I lost track of time!"] or a drastic change in demeanor while working, such as consistently becoming angry or violent.
Symptoms of Work Abuse
The main symptom of work abuse occurs when someone continues to work after their working reaches a level that causes recurrent problems [Too much time at the office and not at the gym? Anti-social?] . Continuing to work after it causes someone to miss fun, drive-work, shirk drinking or get in trouble with the law [Embezzlement anyone?] is considered work abuse.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, IV, defines work abuse as working despite work-related physical, social, psychological, or occupational problems, or working in dangerous situations, such as while driving. The World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases refers to "harmful use" of work, or working that causes either physical or mental damage in the absence of work dependence. In other words, work abuse is any harmful use of work.
For someone who is a workaholic or work dependent, the symptoms include all of those associated with work abuse (above). But workaholics also continue to work in spite of all the problems it has caused in their lives [Divorced? Loner? Diet of takeout and delivery? Wealthy but no time to use money? A year worth of vacation days banked up?].
When work abuse reaches the work dependence stage, the person also experiences at least three of seven other symptoms, including neglect of other activities, excessive use of work, impaired control of work consumption, persistence of work use, large amounts of time spent in work-related activities, withdrawal symptoms and increased tolerance of work.
Yikes. No thanks.
So if you have positively diagnosed yourself as a workaholic suffering from workaholism here's your treatment.
1. Turn off your laptop/blackberry/smart phone/work cell/pager/PDA (however the office contacts you)
2. Find a friend - provided you haven't completely cut yourself off from all of them (maybe you should call them before you turn off your phone)
3. Have friend (replace 'friend' with 'local bartender' if necessary) remind you how to have fun. *
4. Do yourself a favor and don't switch from one addiction for another.
*if you or your friend are at a loss, try alcohol. Other "holics" swear by it.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
This had to be a test
And I'm not sure that I passed.
Today was my third day working as a Transcriber/Production Assistant on an upcoming Discover Channel series on the rebuilding of Ground Zero and the World Trade Center. I figured it would be pretty basic. Me, a computer, some footage and a lot of typing, which for the first 2.5 days was true. Then one of the Producers asked me to do them a favor. Pickup a rental car, pickup up some equipment, meet back at the office to grab some additional stuff, park said rental car.
Cool. No problem. I get out of the office, I get some fresh air. All good.
Not. all. good.
I get to 37th street to the rental place come to find out, since sending me the email with all of the details, the Producer upgraded or van size from Mini to Cargo. Breathe, you've driven 15 passenger vans before. Not in New York City but still.
I get the van, newly cleaned (I can tell by the drops of water still clinging to the side panels - and it hasnt rained. I don't think) and my first indication that something is going to go awry is that the attendant is carefully popping the sideview mirror back into place. How nice of him.
So I get inside, put my bag on the seat next to me, put the key in the ignition and like I learned in driver's Ed, go to check my mirrors... SURPRISE!! Cargo vans have no back window and therefore, no rearview mirror. How the **** am I supposed to deal with this?! I can't see anything behind me!!
Now more than ever I am happy that the sideview mirrors and their mini companions (directly below them and tilted at a different angle to lessen the blindspots) are in place. But the next thing is that I now need to drive this. In traffic, at the beginning of rush hour, in New York City. Oh shit.
Since there was no way I was backing this behemoth vehicle into traffic I was pleased to find that the parking lot had an exit onto 36th street ahead of me. YESSS!!! And the address of the lighting place is on 36th! It must be right around the corner!!!
Well, you're half right. It is on 36th and it is around the corner, but 36th Street is a One Way Street and only leads away from my intended location, so now I have to drive from 9th and 36th to 8th Ave, get back on 37th, pass where I just was, and continue on to 11th so I can double back to 36th and 10th. Turns out that the lane lines are a little, ummm, faded on 11th because when I thought I was in the leftmost lane so that I can turn onto 36th I was nearly run over by an over zealous NYC bus that apparently found a lane further over than my own. I was within inches of a speeding bus. At this point I would italicize my inner thoughts but I would like to keep this blog at a PG level so I will refrain. Just think of what you would scream if you thought you were about to get squashed.
So I find the lighting rental place, no biggie, and I park a few feet up since there is another van directly outside. The guy inside asks where my truck is (first indication it's gonna be a huge amount of stuff) and tells his co-worker to move the company van (the one right outside) so that I can back mine up (2nd indication). Wait, you want me to backup a cargo van without a rearview mirror on a one way street going the wrong way? And oh by the way, I would have to pull into traffic and PARALLEL PARK this gargantuan piece of scrap metal that I'm pretty sure someone kidnapped somebody in!!!
Anyway, did it. Got the stuff and was on my way to Lower Manhattan. Down by the WTC and Wall Street there is still heightened security. Today it was a Police Checkpoint for Commercial Vehicles. This cop vehemently waves me over, perhaps thinking a terrorist clearly would drive this kind of vehicle and if he waved hard enough it would surely discourage them from running him over and blowing past the checkpoint. Then he looked at me and seeing who was driving, he just started laughing. I was dwarfed by this mammoth vehicle, clearly unhappy. My thoughts went back to the explicit portion of my mind and his laughter merely intensified my disdain for the situation. Then I literally had to roll down the window, which was no easy task, and he continued laughing.
He went through the motions of asking where I was headed, asked if I had my driver's license, to which I responded, "Actually no, I make a habit of driving without it, especially through check points". Thank God he was in a good mood. He then and asked what I had in the back. I decided not to push my luck in the sarcasm department so I answered truthfully, instead of with the quippy, possibly irresponsible and immature comment about explosives that I had been pondering since being waved down. When he said with a smile, "You can go now, miss. Have a good evening." I rolled the window back up, smiled.
When I got to the freight entrance of the office everything went pretty smoothly, barring the reversing out of the driveway after loading the rest of the equipment so I could go and park it in a parking structure, more on that later. One of the women who was helping to load the van very graciously offered to help guide the van out into the street keeping an eye on on-coming traffic. However, something tells me she failed to realized the lack of rear window because she stood directly behind the van, waving (I could only tell because every so often one of her hands was caught in one of my mirrors. No casualties but it was close.
Now, we're in the home stretch. All I have to do is park it and be done with it. Boy was I ever wrong. I barely make it under the maximum height requirement bar, I nearly snapped off the antennae and I'm pretty sure I may have tapped two cars in my first failed attempts to park the beast. I even asked if this was a good lot to park in to make sure the van would fit and they assured me it would! It barely made it through the aisles let alone made a smooth 90 degree turn to navigate the lot and actually park it. In the end I found a spot at the end of a row and managed not to damage anything (severely).
When I got back to the office the Producer that sent me on the errand thanked me and then told me that since I had done such a great job and knew where the van was parked that I was now going to be on tomorrow's shoot at Tower 7. Oh and by the way, call time is at 5:45 IN THE MORNING!!!!!!! New Jersey Transit doesn't even function that early, how am I supposed to?!?!
So now, even though it is merely 9pm, I am headed to bed to attempt to catch 7hours of sleep before rising at 4am to drive into Manhattan, so that I may reprise my role as the Crazed Van Driver in "This Can't Actually Be Happening Right Now".
Observation of the day:
Irony is:
1) A church on Wall Street
2) The Gospel for the day on which all Christians in Christendom don an ashen cross on their head for all to see is "take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father." Matthew 6
Today was my third day working as a Transcriber/Production Assistant on an upcoming Discover Channel series on the rebuilding of Ground Zero and the World Trade Center. I figured it would be pretty basic. Me, a computer, some footage and a lot of typing, which for the first 2.5 days was true. Then one of the Producers asked me to do them a favor. Pickup a rental car, pickup up some equipment, meet back at the office to grab some additional stuff, park said rental car.
Cool. No problem. I get out of the office, I get some fresh air. All good.
Not. all. good.
I get to 37th street to the rental place come to find out, since sending me the email with all of the details, the Producer upgraded or van size from Mini to Cargo. Breathe, you've driven 15 passenger vans before. Not in New York City but still.
I get the van, newly cleaned (I can tell by the drops of water still clinging to the side panels - and it hasnt rained. I don't think) and my first indication that something is going to go awry is that the attendant is carefully popping the sideview mirror back into place. How nice of him.
So I get inside, put my bag on the seat next to me, put the key in the ignition and like I learned in driver's Ed, go to check my mirrors... SURPRISE!! Cargo vans have no back window and therefore, no rearview mirror. How the **** am I supposed to deal with this?! I can't see anything behind me!!
Now more than ever I am happy that the sideview mirrors and their mini companions (directly below them and tilted at a different angle to lessen the blindspots) are in place. But the next thing is that I now need to drive this. In traffic, at the beginning of rush hour, in New York City. Oh shit.
Since there was no way I was backing this behemoth vehicle into traffic I was pleased to find that the parking lot had an exit onto 36th street ahead of me. YESSS!!! And the address of the lighting place is on 36th! It must be right around the corner!!!
Well, you're half right. It is on 36th and it is around the corner, but 36th Street is a One Way Street and only leads away from my intended location, so now I have to drive from 9th and 36th to 8th Ave, get back on 37th, pass where I just was, and continue on to 11th so I can double back to 36th and 10th. Turns out that the lane lines are a little, ummm, faded on 11th because when I thought I was in the leftmost lane so that I can turn onto 36th I was nearly run over by an over zealous NYC bus that apparently found a lane further over than my own. I was within inches of a speeding bus. At this point I would italicize my inner thoughts but I would like to keep this blog at a PG level so I will refrain. Just think of what you would scream if you thought you were about to get squashed.
So I find the lighting rental place, no biggie, and I park a few feet up since there is another van directly outside. The guy inside asks where my truck is (first indication it's gonna be a huge amount of stuff) and tells his co-worker to move the company van (the one right outside) so that I can back mine up (2nd indication). Wait, you want me to backup a cargo van without a rearview mirror on a one way street going the wrong way? And oh by the way, I would have to pull into traffic and PARALLEL PARK this gargantuan piece of scrap metal that I'm pretty sure someone kidnapped somebody in!!!
Anyway, did it. Got the stuff and was on my way to Lower Manhattan. Down by the WTC and Wall Street there is still heightened security. Today it was a Police Checkpoint for Commercial Vehicles. This cop vehemently waves me over, perhaps thinking a terrorist clearly would drive this kind of vehicle and if he waved hard enough it would surely discourage them from running him over and blowing past the checkpoint. Then he looked at me and seeing who was driving, he just started laughing. I was dwarfed by this mammoth vehicle, clearly unhappy. My thoughts went back to the explicit portion of my mind and his laughter merely intensified my disdain for the situation. Then I literally had to roll down the window, which was no easy task, and he continued laughing.
He went through the motions of asking where I was headed, asked if I had my driver's license, to which I responded, "Actually no, I make a habit of driving without it, especially through check points". Thank God he was in a good mood. He then and asked what I had in the back. I decided not to push my luck in the sarcasm department so I answered truthfully, instead of with the quippy, possibly irresponsible and immature comment about explosives that I had been pondering since being waved down. When he said with a smile, "You can go now, miss. Have a good evening." I rolled the window back up, smiled.
When I got to the freight entrance of the office everything went pretty smoothly, barring the reversing out of the driveway after loading the rest of the equipment so I could go and park it in a parking structure, more on that later. One of the women who was helping to load the van very graciously offered to help guide the van out into the street keeping an eye on on-coming traffic. However, something tells me she failed to realized the lack of rear window because she stood directly behind the van, waving (I could only tell because every so often one of her hands was caught in one of my mirrors. No casualties but it was close.
Now, we're in the home stretch. All I have to do is park it and be done with it. Boy was I ever wrong. I barely make it under the maximum height requirement bar, I nearly snapped off the antennae and I'm pretty sure I may have tapped two cars in my first failed attempts to park the beast. I even asked if this was a good lot to park in to make sure the van would fit and they assured me it would! It barely made it through the aisles let alone made a smooth 90 degree turn to navigate the lot and actually park it. In the end I found a spot at the end of a row and managed not to damage anything (severely).
When I got back to the office the Producer that sent me on the errand thanked me and then told me that since I had done such a great job and knew where the van was parked that I was now going to be on tomorrow's shoot at Tower 7. Oh and by the way, call time is at 5:45 IN THE MORNING!!!!!!! New Jersey Transit doesn't even function that early, how am I supposed to?!?!
So now, even though it is merely 9pm, I am headed to bed to attempt to catch 7hours of sleep before rising at 4am to drive into Manhattan, so that I may reprise my role as the Crazed Van Driver in "This Can't Actually Be Happening Right Now".
Observation of the day:
Irony is:
1) A church on Wall Street
2) The Gospel for the day on which all Christians in Christendom don an ashen cross on their head for all to see is "take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father." Matthew 6
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