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I'm participating in a 'workforce', but it's definitely a choice . . . there are shared timelines (I confess), but it's all been a Joy
If I were to "then" be free of external timeline-expectations, I would not further be free of participatory expectations...
Agree, that full time work is more demanding than life as a student, not least, because, as a student, (and cherish, savour, revel in, these years, @rm5), one will be studying subjects that one has actually chosen, (rather than been compelled to study, as is the case at school, rather than university), and have an interest in, and thus, (hopefully) one will be motivated - interested enough - to want to study and learn them.
I must confess that I loved my time as a student, as a post grad, and as a university teacher.
Teaching is different: I only ever taught at third level, - and I took they view that they were paying me to talk about stuff that I was fascinated by and enthusiastic about - but, for each hour of class, (both tutorials, and, above all, lectures) there was preparation, sometimes requiring several hours of prep (research,etc) for each hour of contact teaching - and it changed with the course, and year - classes for final year students required a lot more work than was the case for first year students, etc; then, there was grading essays, term papers, and exams - that took weeks - and finally, there were one to one sessions with each student when returning graded papers to discuss their work.
And that is just the academics: Sometimes, students would seek you out as they needed someone - a sympathetic but respected adult - to take them for coffee, to chat to them, to advise them, counsel them, to listen to them, to mentor them, to encourage them - I was good at this, and remembered how it had felt, what it felt like, when my professors took the time to mentor me and how much it had meant to me that adults I admired, respected, even revered, in some cases, were treating me as an adult, an intellectual equal - but, at times, (and I was a university teacher of history and politics, not a trained counsellor), it was emotionally exhausting.
All of that meant that - the time, and energy - for your own research was confined to the summer months; while I taught my own specialist courses, I also did some journeyman teaching to first and second years (for example, some of the Russian history section on the Modern European History course), but this meant that the actual terms - while short enough - were completely taken up with teaching, class prep, and setting, grading, marking (and returning) student work.
Re school, (rather than university), for a teacher, just because the clock reads three, this doesn't mean that school will finish at three (or, four o'clock, for second level); there are extra-curricular activities (for example, sports, debating, school plays, etc) that teachers are expected to supervise (and encourage) in the hours after school, and, then, there is grading homework - which will take hours and hours out of an evening and week, (and worse, week-end), especially if you teach different syllabi to different years.
You couldn't pay me to teach second level; the combination of puberty, and kids compelled to study stuff that doesn't interest them (let alone enthuse them) is a nightmare from an educator's perspective.
At the very least, at university, you could assume that the hormones had settled (somewhat), while the the students had chosen - actually selected - the subjects they studied, and therefore, it was not unreasonable to suppose that they had an actual interest in this material.
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@rm5, @Apple fanboy:
As for actual work in the so-called "real world", I have found that no matter how challenging, interesting, exciting, rewarding (intellectually, and financially), a position actually is, there will always be some elements that are less compelling; the trick is to try to find a post, position, job, where the ratio of interesting and challenging work far exceeds the work that is tedious and trying.
The other issue is that in the "real world" (and that includes teaching, at schools and at universities), colleagues - and superiors - will be a lot less invested in - a lot less interested in - attempting to ensure that you are challenged and fulfilled in what you are doing than was the case (on the part of your teachers, tutors, professors) when you are a student.
Put bluntly, many bosses don't care how you are, how you feel, what you think, whether you are challenged, as long as you do the work they have assigned to you both competently and promptly.
As for actual work in the so-called "real world", I have found that no matter how challenging, interesting, exciting, rewarding (intellectually, and financially), a position actually is, there will always be some elements that are less compelling; the trick is to try to find a post, position, job, where the ratio of interesting and challenging work far exceeds the work that is tedious and trying.
The other issue is that in the "real world" (and that includes teaching, at schools and at universities), colleagues - and superiors - will be a lot less invested in - a lot less interested in - attempting to ensure that you are challenged and fulfilled in what you are doing than was the case (on the part of your teachers, tutors, professors) when you are a student.
Put bluntly, many bosses don't care how you are, how you feel, what you think, whether you are challenged, as long as you do the work they have assigned to you both competently and promptly.
As a current full-time student, I'm not looking forward to the switch to full-time work when this phase of my life is over. For all the reasons listed, but also the forecasted decline of my social life. From speaking to those older than me, I've heard their stories of losing touch with friends, needing to make an appointment to hang out for a brief time, and work commitments drowning out everything else. I know I have it easy now, but that's why I'm trying to make the most out of it. I am loving studying abroad--I knew I would like it, but it's impressed me beyond what I could've imagined. Getting to experience another country and culture and meet students from all over the world while I have the freedoms associated with full-time student status has been an enriching experience.
On the plus side, finishing undergrad may not be the end of it if I decide to do a graduate program (which, it's looking increasingly as if I will).
On the plus side, finishing undergrad may not be the end of it if I decide to do a graduate program (which, it's looking increasingly as if I will).
As a Teacher-Mentor-Parent-Therapist-ETC in a PRTF, we place a lot focus on "Participation"
I have--at-max--ten teenagers in my classes.
"If you can't Reach 'em, you can't Teach 'em!"
If my History is anything I can actually go-by, there was not much disparity with my attitudes from 16y-21y . . . it took me to well-into my twenties to actually find a degree of seriousness, which I (thankfully) then began to apply....
One of the Mantras which I try to share, is:
Whatever gets you bouncing-out of bed each Day!
If that means that you are the most-badass floor sweeper the World has ever known, revel in this, Sister!
If this means that you successfully find a cure for diabetes at age 33, this is your Path.
Your World is yours to Create!
In general, I agree with you, and would readily concede that something similar occurred with me; while I was always serious, as a student, it took to my mid twenties to settle, and well into my thirties and forties to feel "comfortable in my skin".
However, I do think that a gap-year (enormously) enhances maturity, and that (again, in general, there were exceptions), that girls tended to be a bit more mature than guys.
Nevertheless, my experience - as a teacher - was that, by close to graduation - the kids had really begin to settle into themselves, their adult selves, and had become decent (rounded and grounded) human beings.
I'm knocking on the door of my sixth-decade, and I am also working towards my Master(s+).
I remember complaining (to my Mom) that School was just too much effort, and that I didn’t think I could “do it”.
She replied:
Every time I find myself feeling overwhelmed with all that I am tasked (or have tasked myself) to do, you are there with me, Mom, reminding me of my abilities.
If you really want to attain a goal....
Yes!
After my initial 1st-year Failure in Uni, I took some time off . . . it tip-tipped the toggle on my Life's Pressure Cooker, and enabled me to find my Grounding.
The very best of luck with it.
Excellent reply.
Yes, this was my mum, as well.
In her early forties, she had a FT job, the three of us, (plus my dad, who was completely supportive of her desire to study, he used to say - invariably, to other stunned males - that he was proud to be married to such an intelligent person) and studied for a degree at night, attending class three times a week (nights my dad made sure that he stayed at home) for several years.
Thanks!
Lucky to be here,
And--as luck would so have it--
Lucky to be there.
My Parental's relationship didn't progress as well; but there was some love; along the way.
Mom lit the candle of my inspiration, and continues to counsel me (even after her Passing), daily.
It is my honor to reciprocate.
Just thinking about how I am going to move forward in life. Girlfriend broke up with me last fall. It was my fault, and I accept what happened and am moving on from it. There were a lot of people I rooted out of my life and I feel better about things now. I need to get my Driver's License, I failed my road test last year as well and the weather has been pretty horrible so I haven't had much time to practice.
That is surprising. Two year degrees even require math in the USA. Then again, private schools do things differently.
When I was working on upgrading my Software Development degree, I was looking at three sections of Calculus, and four more math classes. I considered just getting a math degree first.
It's fun if you have transportation. Sitting in a room for hours on end might become tedious.
Reflect on you past experiences, and do what you can do to learn from your mistakes.
Practice helps nutrify your Perfect; but there are levels, beyond levels, beyond . . . urgency and anxiety are key ingredients in a bad batch of biscuits ;/
Until you find the Time to practice, and increase your proficiency . . . personally, a slow walk in a park, or moments in Nature, have always helped me ground my eager expectations.
Remember your living Mantra: "crawl -> walk -> run -> jump -> fly"
I talk to a lot less people these days and just keep to myself. Something I should have done years ago, and it's worked out nicely.Reflect on you past experiences, and do what you can do to learn from your mistakes.
Practice helps nutrify your Perfect; but there are levels, beyond levels, beyond . . . urgency and anxiety are key ingredients in a bad batch of biscuits ;/
Until you find the Time to practice, and increase your proficiency . . . personally, a slow walk in a park, or moments in Nature, have always helped me ground my eager expectations.
Remember your living Mantra: "crawl -> walk -> run -> jump -> fly"
Interestingly enough, although I indeed do have transportation, a 2021 Honda Civic Sport Hatchback that I purchased towards the end of 2020, I don't drive nearly as much as I did in my younger days. Of course the Pandemic interrupted all of us being able to casually leave home all that frequently or feeling safe doing so (for a while anyway).
However, even after the worst of COVID-19 eventually became a disappearing mirage in our rear view mirrors, now in better times when we're all free to move around as we choose and go where we need and want to go, for some reason I've found that I still tend to stay at home much more than in the past. Some of it may be my own introverted personality and inclination towards being a homebody, and some of it may be actually age-related, too. I'm finding that it seems to be true that most of us seem to slow down more and more as we age. Especially if an individual doesn't have any pressing health problems, this all just kind of sneaks up on us!
I just don't feel the need to get in the car and go somewhere every day or even a few days a week. This, though, is also complicated by increasingly developing cataracts (another not-so-nice thing which for most of us comes along as our years on this earth progress through time). I don't drive at night any more and I tend to drive just around my local, familiar area rather than venturing out on road trips the way I used to do.
For people who do not have their own transportation readily available, yes, this becomes a problem in terms of trying to deal with public transportation or other means of getting to where one needs to be. That only adds to the pressure already being felt by the aging process. There are various agencies and other resources which help with this, but right, it's not the same as being able to decide to go somewhere, sometimes at the last minute, and simply pick up one's key fob and get into one's own car. This is one reason that many older people actively resist the idea of giving up their driver's license, even in situations where it is clearly an issue and needs to be addressed. Independence is important to most people and as one gets older, that independence becomes even more treasured.
I am really getting tired of people trying to run scams against me all the time. Calling on the phone, emails, text messages, people knocking on the door. Electronic filtering of texts, phone calls, and emails are mostly effective. But still a few get through each day and if I turn off the filtering, there are several dozen fraudulent solicitations each day.
I am really happy to hear you are enjoying study abroad! That is great.
Though I do have to disagree about losing friends, because I still have plenty from high school, and I don't anticipate losing my current ones in college. And, from what I've seen, it's pretty common to make friends with colleagues at work.
As far as me and grad school, I don't know yet. I've been given conflicting advice on it. I'll need to discuss with my advisor soon (who, thankfully, is one of my professors, so I think he has a pretty good idea of what I want to do and such).
I have four rehearsals this afternoon/evening. Jazz Band was at 3:10 - had to fill in for the pianist there. Then I observed LUJE (top big band), which just ended. Did not play, just watched. I'll likely be in LUJE next year. Was about to do it this year then found out I got into Concert Choir, and I don't have time for both. Choir in 15 minutes, and jazz small group at 7:30. Busy but fun!
So in this post I'm kind of coalescing / pulling together the past various posts talking about retirement, aging, music, etc......
Some of Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game" lyrics rather sum things up:
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game
And go round and round and round
In the circle game
Some of Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game" lyrics rather sum things up:
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game
And go round and round and round
In the circle game