To my readers, I would like to ask: How many of you are currently considering a career in business? And what do you imagine a “typical,” eight-hour work day to look like?
As I sit in front of the computer typing this up, I find myself surprised at the sparse amount of information I recorded just four days into the program. The fact is, working a so-called “typical” work day often lends itself to boredom, as I learned during my time with the Fullbridge Program.
Continuing with the theme of finance, day four focused on the income statement and the balance sheet. While I enjoy economics and business, I found some of the material to be a bit dry. Another day in front of the computers didn’t raise much excitement among us. On a random tangent, I will admit I was pleasantly surprised to notice many students (including myself) jotting down notes by hand. In the day of rapid technological advancement, I worry sometimes that everything’s gone digital all at once.
Much to everyone’s relief, today was also our first (and only) “casual day.” I actually shocked myself by showing up in sweatpants and a top, sneakers, and a beanie. For those who know me, this is not my usual attire. Appreciating “the little things in life” indeed.
On this day, I also found myself amazed by how quickly a one-hour lunch break comes and goes. Lunch seemed like a great relief the first few days; but by day four, the break became just another part of the usual routine.
Sitting in front of a computer eight hours a day, with a one-hour lunch break in-between, for the fourth day in a row, gave me perspective on what it would be like to have a desk job. If such were the case, I would invest in a comfortable chair. This is not a joke. Health and wellness must be taken into consideration, especially when one maintains a sedentary work life such as this. It is important to consider the cost/benefit of a particular career path, particularly since many require you to work upwards from a low-level desk job.
And aside from work, you may find it worthwhile to continue a hobby or sport of your liking– if only to maintain your sanity. But with one’s busy schedule, who has the time? Even as college students, we constantly struggle to balance a life of social interactions, academics, health, and sleep, to name a few. The particulars vary with each individual, but the idea holds true for most.
I strongly encourage you to figure out what a balanced lifestyle means to you, so as to be better prepared for the “real world” out there. The motley of clubs and activities we juggle in undergrad may be more than we can handle later on in life. Choosing to prioritize marriage, family members, and/or a time-heavy career will only add to this equation.
My purpose in sharing these thoughts is not to discourage you. Rather, I am trying to provide honest and realistic insight into the probability that you will one day work a job at which repetition may very well be the norm. You may wake up around the same time every day, receive a one-hour lunch break, go to the gym, take care of the kids, so on and so forth. Before you know it, a routine will start to develop– probably for the sake of efficiency and productivity.
So while we’re still in college, I hope we can pause and take a moment to appreciate the freedom and spontaneity with which we can approach life.
