Since we are approaching the second most stressful time of year, which would be midterms, why not discuss the other most stressful thing that is sneaking its way to go hand-in-hand with college: the working world. Most of my articles have been about adulting and adjusting to this lifestyle, but it is only because I wished I had more preparation or some kind of heads-up of the unforgiving work world.
I am not going to lie; I was led to believe that the renowned “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton was something worth singing about as well as starring in a movie with the same title; I could not be any more wrong. Juggling a demanding job, part-time at that, as well as being in college is not for the weak or the faint of heart.
One of the first articles I wrote talked about declining balance, and what is a part of that declined balance is time managing your school work and outside employment. Then, there is the speed lump no one dares to drive over: being understaffed. I have experienced when a job is understaffed from both a customer’s and employee’s perspective, and again, it is not for the faint of heart.
When a job is understaffed, it makes simple work tasks even more tedious than it already is. Say your usual count for employees and staff is about 10, but then everyone quits or life happens, and next thing you know, you only have two employees and a million customers. That amount of immediate stress from the rush can be very overwhelming, damaging your mental health.
To add on to it, nine-to-five jobs do not realize that there is life outside of the workplace. There is still a thing called college and life that refuses to be put on hold because Matthew could not come in today. As you get older, when you have a day off, do not take that for granted. When it is your day off, it zooms on by like all we need is a little 15-minute break, and we are good to go.
I believe it is not fair for employees to sacrifice more or less time at their workplace, especially if they already have a lot on their plate. Currently, I am a full-time college student if that was not already emphasized, so obviously school is going to be my priority. What I would like to do when I am partially unscathed from school work is doing or working on something that goes along with what I am studying.
I feel like nine-to-five jobs only see employees as data and statistics for graphs and such. They do not truly see us and understand us as human beings. In addition, you are easily replaceable in the work world and they would not bat an eye if you quit or left for any reason. I have had only one job who comprehends the fact of life continuing on once I have clocked out. However, at the end of the day, the job can only have so much patience for your unplanned troubles.
In Billie Eilish’s song “Getting Older”, she sings in the chorus, “Things I once enjoyed/just keep me employed now/ Things I’m longing for/Someday I’ll be bored of/ It’s so weird/ That we care so much until we don’t.” The context in these lines are pretty much self-explanatory because it talks about how as we get older, many of our childhood dreams and aspirations solely become a source of income.
Personally, I believe nine-to-five is not for me. I believe my mental health and my overall work demeanor would change for the better if I were my own boss with my own set schedule. So much would be able to get done if I started my writing business or posted my content on the internet and became an influencer.
The options for income have changed drastically from 20 years ago to now. Once the storm settles and my brain starts to brain again, I can work according to me and never have to worry about the indifferent behavior of a nine-to-five. Sorry Dolly, while the song may have been a hit, the content could not be any more incorrect.