When the time comes to say good bye to our bitter sweet school life, and move on to a university, the transition becomes almost an adventure. There aren’t any uniforms or four walls keeping you from wondering and exploring the outside world. Because we are already outside. Although it isn’t the joyous place we thought it would be. When a simple homework becomes a research paper and an hour’s work runs into all-nighters. Then when it’s finally time to put on that cloak and walk out of university, things get a little bit more real than we anticipate. The excitement that is built inside when you think of joining that dream job will soon fade away after the first few interviews. When it’s finally time to start work, things take different turn. Here are a few instances where you will experience a difference between university and work.
Deadlines come with no extensions
Deadlines at university came with a little breathing space, you can always get an extension when things get too stressful. And sometime desperate times call for desperate measure when you fake an illness to get out of a deadline you knew you couldn’t make. But at work, deadlines simply means that when you are done with your part someone else is waiting to complete the rest. So when one task isn’t on time it delays processes and affects and entire organisation. So even if you have so many other work going on and things are going beyond stressful, there will not be much of a chance to get an extension like you used to do.
Less feedback and more work
Remember the time when your assignments went through several feedback sessions before the final submission? Well there will not be someone overlooking your every move because you are now responsible for your own work. And you won’t be doing one thing at a time, and every task will be different from the other.
No room for little complains
A cold or the flu were good enough reasons to have plenty of bed rest although when it comes to work, a cold will not be a good enough reason to stay back from an important meeting or delay paperwork. Even if the world is falling apart outside, you would still be at your desk working on that emergency paperwork that is dues tomorrow.
A day off comes with a price
Only your friends would notice when you’d miss a few lessons at university and the lecturer might not even know you by name. Because in a room full of 40 students, a single student missing doesn’t make a difference. Although when you start working, a single day off requires a few steps. You need to make sure your supervisor is informed and that your colleagues are there to cover your work if needed. And a day at home cost you one less leave. When you have a set number of leave per year, you can’t afford to just take a break when you feel bored.
The transition from university student to employee is a tough one. The stakes are higher when you are a part of an organisation. Every decision you take reflects on the organisation and on the plus side, every task that you do becomes a contribution towards a large organisations future. And unlike university life where you get an allowance barely enough to last a day, you get a paycheck at the end of every month and the satisfaction is knowing that you truly worked for it.
