Life in the "real world" ain't all that exciting....
Honestly, when I stop to compare life in the working world to life as a full-time student, it really doesn't feel all that different. I have found that the biggest difference is the source of stress. Sitting in a classroom for multiple hours a day and being stressed out due to deadlines and having to cram so much information into my brain on a daily basis was so much different than the kind of stress that I currently encounter on some days at my workplace. My days are generally as follows: get up, go to work, come home, stay up for a few hours, go to sleep, repeat. I am starting to get a good handle on how to properly interact with the kids, and am getting better at performing my various duties... oddly enough (or perhaps not so oddly), all of my stress in this job comes from my co-workers and the fact that we have different ways of attacking situations. This in itself isn't bad, because everyone handles things differently... but rather than telling me when they think I am approaching something in an incorrect manner, some of my co-workers go straight to my supervisor, and then I end up getting messages from my supervisor saying something like "there are a few concerns that your co-workers have brought to my attention". Generally, these "concerns" are things that I should not be expected to have down pat after one month of employment: knowing proper procedure for certain tasks, taking initiative... I'm still a new employee for crying outloud (by the way, even my supervisor agreed that their concerns weren't anything worth corrective action). I keep having to remind myself that some people just can't handle confrontation... although that still boggles my mind, because I thought that adults were supposed to be able to handle difficulties in a mature manner. Please keep in mind that I'm NOT saying that I'm the best at confrontation either; however, I do recognize that sometimes, it must be done in order to resolve any drama that has arisen. To solve a problem with another individual, you are not supposed to avoid the situation... you are supposed to confront them in an honest manner. Solving problems is best done quickly, rather than letting other problems and tensions build on top of the original cause for discontent... just because an individual thinks ignoring a problem is the proper solution doesn't mean that he or she is correct. Don't get me wrong with all of this ranting: I love work, but sometimes I just wish I was a full-time student again. Being a student would beat working overtime hours, just to be under-appreciated by (albeit, a handful of) co-workers who think and act like they are best thing to ever happen to the agency. I know that in time, things will probably work themselves out... but in the meantime, I've got to remember that I am there for the kids more than I am there for the adults, and I will make an effort to treat each individual in a mature and professional manner.