It’s 8 AM and I’m about to leave my apartment. My backpack is filled with all kinds of chargers and snacks to get me through the day since I’m sure I won’t be back till almost midnight and the rush from class to work leaves me almost no time to eat. It’s stuffed with notebooks and folders and work clothes. The to do list I have in my hand is carefully planned out down to the hour, making sure that any opportunity I have to get work done is taken advantage of. I grab all my stuff lethargically, ready for the long day ahead of me.
High School Graduation With My Siblings
College is far from cheap, and with three kids off to UMASS at the same time, my parents pretty much made it clear that I was financially on my own. At first, the thought of paying for it by myself sent me into a state of hyperventilation. I thought to myself that there would be no way. But after applying to several places in the Amherst area I was hired at a large retail sporting goods store and ever since I have spent my college career shuffling my way drearily through this job, craving my bed, the thought of taking a nap in the back stockroom a constant thought running through my mind.
Truthfully, my patience with others has never been one of my strong suits and I have no idea how I have survived in retail for this long without screaming right back at a customer. Anyone who has ever worked in retail, even for a short period of time, can tell you just how outrageous and chaotic it can be. However, despite all my frustration, working here has somehow been an enlightening and productive part of my college experience. It has taught me so much more than how to organize clothes or get shoes, or push buttons on a cash register. It has taught me everything that I need to know about people. It has taught me composure and professionalism. It has taught me to apologize for things that are not my fault in order to keep a customer happy as well as how to navigate a myriad of tricky situations. It has taught me how to be patient and how to be firm. It has taught me how to push through any number of aggravating scenarios in a levelheaded manner.
It has also given me the gift of perseverance. There have been so many days that I have wanted to call out and not have to deal with any of my responsibilities. No matter how you look at it, there is definitely something to be said about someone who can be screamed at, glared at or talked down to without even flinching. It has also trained me how to read a situation and how to not push my luck. It may not stand out on my resume or set me apart from other candidates but it has shown me a lot about myself and about other people. Despite the negative aspects that come with a job in retail, or any job at all for that matter, I think that it has prepared me for the real world in a way that no other job could have.
Me (obviously slacking) at work
Not only has the job itself taught me a lot about the way that people work and how to navigate my way through that, but having a job and going to college at the same time is what has really taught me the most. The constant rush from class to work and then from work to the library is what almost everyday is like. The repetitive loop of class, work, homework, sleep, is something that I know all too well. It has shown me just how little sleep a person can function on and proved that if you are constantly on the go, keeping yourself busy, then it is actually much easier to accomplish what you need to. The less time that you have, the more important every minute of everyday is. As a result, I have mastered the art of the to do list in order to capitalize on every minute of the day. When you have a paper due at three and work at four there is no time for Netflix binges or mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, there is only time for what you have carefully planned out on your list. But what is most important about these lists is something that I have had to learn the hard way: if you put something on the list then you have to do it. Sticking to theis rigid routine is a habit that I was able to carry over into other aspects of my life. Rather than laying in my bed thinking about the fact that my room needs to be cleaned or that the dishes need to be done, I use this method and actually accomplish these tasks. I used to constantly tell myself that things needed to be done, but would let them all creep up on me letting the laundry list of assignments and house chores pile up, leaving me limited time to do them and ultimately causing me more stress. Essentially, it has engrained a high work ethic in me and promoted the idea that if you want something then you have to go and get it yourself, nobody is going to do it for you.
UMASS
Balancing both my work and class schedule has also brought my organizational skills to an entirely heightened level. This chaotic schedule has trained me to coordinate my time and multitask like there is no tomorrow. I know how to make every second of the day count. How to handle working thirty to forty hours a week while making it to every class and completing every homework assignment, all on three hours of sleep. This cycle has showed me the importance of being on time and being prepared, skills that I know employers will be looking for and counting on.
Since the main reason for having this job is to support myself financially it has also opened my eyes to what it means to work hard to make sure that all of your bills are paid and you have food in the fridge. Prior to college, the money that I made from working would go straight to shoes, clothes or food. Now, however, I have been able to learn how to budget my money and pay all of my bills. It has also taught me how to save up for emergencies, rather than to spend that money just because I have it. Not only that, but working to provide for myself has revealed the value of money and that it only stretches so far. Ultimately, it has shown me the benefit of sustaining myself and the feeling of pride that comes along with being able to do so.
While some weeks are tougher than others and I am exhausted most of the time, this balancing act comes with an indescribable feeling of accomplishment. All of the stress and the running around will only benefit me in the long run. In the end, the hostile and irritable customers, the hours spent at work instead of tailgating with my friends, the nights I stayed up until the morning and all the bills I have paid have truly taught me something. No matter the stress all of this has caused me, it has been an integral part of my college experience and has prepared me for the real world in a way that I never thought that it would.