What's the haps?

[Banestar]

I miss the only responsibility I had in college: going to class.  Now the real world sets in and suddenly I have worry about finances, student loans, health insurance....I want to go back to when I didn't have a care in the world.  I'll take lectures and papers over having to pay for all the boring stuff. :-P  Brace yourself, the real world sucks.

Dissenting opinion!

College tends to be great for a lot of reasons, especially if you have good friends, classes you like, etc. - but the "real world" can be underrated. Yeah, responsibilities (especially financial ones) can be a drag sometimes...but there's a pretty great sense of achievement when you do things that you can pay for on your own - buy your first house, get your first promotion, take a big vacation that you planned / saved for, etc. It's like winning in the Sims, except, y'know, real life. Spidey's famous quote goes both ways, sometimes with great responsibility comes great empowerment - and a great deal of self-worth.

Plus, I really like the sense of my workday being done, and then being able to relax, rather than having to worry about finals / a project that's due in a month - though nowadays I deal with work projects that're like that sometimes.

</silverliningtalk>

But I totally empathize with the finances / student loans issue. I have a relatively small loan amount (from two years of grad school), and I still have to pay a huge chunk every month until I'm 39. The loan companies are monsters. :(

[Dice]

There's one parts of being a student I won't miss: having class, then after class it's either papers, reading or part-time work to pay for the former points.  At least a M-F, 9-5 job has some consistency, you get home and the time is more or less yours.

[Darilon]

It was not until I first went to college that I learned how expensive food was. Before college I never understood why people bought the cheaper, less tasty food brands when the better stuff was only a few cent more expensive, Holy crap though, does the overall cost rise rapidly.

[Kstar]

It was not until I first went to college that I learned how expensive food was. Before college I never understood why people bought the cheaper, less tasty food brands when the better stuff was only a few cent more expensive, Holy crap though, does the overall cost rise rapidly.

Could not agree with you more!  I always go to the grocery store and feel like I have barely anything in my cart and end up spending between $50 - $75 bucks.  It's not that having a job isn't rewarding, my point is you have a huge set of responsibilities that you never really thought about when you were in college.  And you have to spend your money on stuff that isn't fun.

At least a M-F, 9-5 job has some consistency, you get home and the time is more or less yours.

Except you're usually too tired to enjoy most of it :-P

[GrimReality]

Yeah, the snowstorm was a lot of fun. I live just south of Chicago, so we got hit pretty hard. I also happen to be a plow truck driver, so while our office was closed yesterday, I had to go in to work. I have a 4x4 truck(my own and the work truck), so I really had no problems, but it was pretty wild out there early yesterday morning. Abandoned, snowed-over cars all over the place. The freaking snowpocalypse had come and I was the sole survivor!
I took a few pictures when I got home yesterday, but Yoda and Keeper already covered that.

As for life vs. college...
Yes, I do like coming home at the end of the day and not having additional "work" to do, but there are so many other things to get done.  Plus, just because you leave work for the day doesn't mean that it's not on your mind all the time.
Throw in a wife, a kid, cooking, cleaning, shoveling, exercise, bills, etc etc etc..
I really don't get to relax until around 9 on any given night.
Take happiness in the little things. It's cheesy, but damn near essential to staying sane.

[Chronix112]

It was not until I first went to college that I learned how expensive food was. Before college I never understood why people bought the cheaper, less tasty food brands when the better stuff was only a few cent more expensive, Holy crap though, does the overall cost rise rapidly.

yes, it does and fast. So does going out with your friends downtown. You quickly learn how to manage your finances, or you are in for some rough times. I remember surviving off roman noodles and other cheap stuff  near the end of the month because my funds ran low. The call home and beg your parents because you used up all your funds card only works so many times. Also ,omg are books are expensive. I always felt like crying at the beginning of the semester when I had to buy books, then I  got smart and started getting them off ebay, which weakened the blow some.

[CastNuri]

Having not experienced "real life" yet (still in college), I have to admit I'm pretty excited about graduating and getting a job. Mostly because I think it would be nice not to be as big a burden on my parents anymore-- they've supported five children with difficult age gaps and my graduation will be the end of tuition fees for them.

Working a 9-5 job... well, the world runs on people with 9-5 jobs. I agree with Grim, it is important to find happiness in the little things. I imagine that will keep me running if/when I end up at a stressful desk job sometime in the near future.

[Starmongoose]

Well, I just moved all out stuff into the new flat and managed to break the back door. Go me, great first impression Greig!

I can take some solace in the fact that wasn't TECHNICALLY my fault that it happened though. Though I don't think it will sound that way when I try to explain to the landlord what happened. Basically, Scotland has been getting some pretty killer winds the past couple of days, I'm sure CastNuri will vouch, and the front door to the building for SOME REASON wasn't/can't be locked properly. So when we opened the back door to move the stuff in, the suction made the front door open and then make the back door slam shut HARD. Causing the glass to smash.

*sigh* This is not gonna look good.

[Yoda]

Only one broken window is bad feng shui. Be sure to break an even number of windows next time

[Starmongoose]

D: Bad feng shui is the least of my problems!

[Dice]

D: Bad feng shui is the least of my problems!

Just wait Star.  The day will come when 3 (big) household appliances break down in one week.
Happened twice here.

Besides...I think you were just "breaking"-in the home.... GET IT??? hohohoh

[Starmongoose]

Just wait Star.  The day will come when 3 (big) household appliances break down in one week.

That reminds me of the time my great uncle and my great grandmother died in the same month and my mum was all "IT COMES IN 3's!!". Six months later a woman she went to school with died and she was all "I told you it comes in 3's!".

Besides...I think you were just "breaking"-in the home.... GET IT??? hohohoh

I found that funnier than it really had any right to be.

[Yoda]

You'd be wise not to stir the wraiths
With bad decorative tastes.
Be sure to have some warm lighting
Else no guests need inviting.

[Starmongoose]

A meditation room is what you need
From lifes hardships you will be freed
And if you find your love life lacking
Find some pebbles and get to stacking

[Yoda]

To fully shrug off life's frustration
I recommend plentiful masturbation
Man and woman will agree
yankee doodle dandy