Routine

Alex Ward is back with this third guest post. Enjoy!

This week I'm taking note of the differences between university and work life.

After two months now working for TARGETjobs, I can safely say that in some ways I will consider going back to university to be more of a holiday. The prospect of reckless nights out, followed by lying in bed until I deem it necessary to crawl out from under the covers is, to me right now, a whole world away.

During my second year, a typical day would begin somewhere between 9:00am and 13:00pm. This was often subject to what I call the drunk equation, whereby units of alcohol consumed, plus hours spent partying, plus kebab topped pizza is directly proportional to the number of hours spent in bed the next day. Now however, during the holidays, the variance in the time I get up is significantly reduced – to about half an hour between quarter past seven and quarter to eight. This is dependent upon whether or not I decided to watch American Dad on BBC3 after the Family Guy double.

The thing is – I don’t mind. There were definitely times when I thought to myself late one afternoon at university ‘I could have gotten a lot more out of today’, and it’s true. Having such a routine now, my body is automatically ready to go by about eight in the morning. This means that come Saturday I’ve done all that pesky administration that us students have to occasionally tolerate, before the crack of noon when my peers emerge, dressed in joggers and shielded from the sun by large-framed sunglasses.

To this day I will not forget my friend’s confusion when he saw me up and about the morning after a particularly heavy session on the shandy.

This routine though, of working nine ‘til five (cue Dolly Parton) up until now has been more beneficial than I realised. Rising at a reasonable hour means that I get my ‘Three square meals a day young man’, meaning that my health is a lot better – I’ve had a lot less left over floor pizza to boot. I get a varied and balanced diet, something which I am positive has never occurred whilst studying.

Organisation too is something that, as soon as routine slips into place, is easier than expected. Making time to drunkenly see friends now comes on a Friday evening and at the weekend, with the more sober encounters occurring after work during those long summer afternoons. I admit, that I’m not completely organised – there is still a letter from the student loans company on my desk gathering dust. I’ve taken the attitude to it like I would a fine wine. Leave it for ages in a dark, cool spot and pretend it doesn’t exist for a few years before opening it and wondering what all the fuss was about.

TARGETjobs has opened my eyes in many ways this summer; from teaching me lessons in plain English and email etiquette, to content management and competency-based interview questions. But without a doubt, what I have woken up to the most (no pun intended) is the amount of time I have neglected when I could really have utilised it.

That said, the student union doesn’t start serving until noon anyway.

£27,000 is a lot to spend on a hangover

We've got another post from our intern Alex. Here he is going to tackle the complex issue of getting waaaaaasted.

I heard a person say that they’d fail a year of university so that they had one more year to go drinking all the time (Excuse me?). Yes, some view the university experience in a significantly different way to others. I’m not shedding light on any institution in particular, but I am commenting on the people.

With university fees now rising to an eye-watering/ soul-destroying £9,000 (yes I sound like your overbearing parent), it is more crucial than ever to graduate your course with a good class of degree. So does this mean that we should all pack away our DIY hooch (alcohol) kits replacing them with 'Writing a Dissertation for Dummies' (yes it exists, ironically)? In short, No.

It’s alright to go out and enjoy yourself, just do it in moderation (I’m really plugging the parental view this time around).

Personally, I will see myself as having wasted three, very valuable, years of my life if at the end of my degree I walk away with anything less than a 2.1. We all like to think we’re capable of achieving a first, but I would like this to being a bit like the childhood idea of being a fireman when you grow up. There comes a point when you’ve got to be realistic (and hang up those Velcro fireman’s trousers to boot). But then again, I would also consider myself wasting the university experience if I stayed locked inside my slowly decaying student house all the time.

Good ol’ time management is often the key for me. I don’t particularly venture (stumble) into town the night before a morning lecture. Instead, I would rather go out on a night where I am not required to be a functioning member of society the next day. I realise that this occasionally leads to going out at times that don’t correspond to others, but in fairness, it’s easier than getting the urge to vomit every time the lecturer mentions how ‘groups of men, circulate women among themselves, according to a rule known as the incest taboo.’

As the title of this post suggests, with all these expensive tuition fees, you are looking at investing a lot of money to stay in bed, developing an unhealthily high tolerance to paracetamol. Plus, despite popular belief, it is actually less humiliating when you socialise in and around lectures. You may think that girl was impressed last night when you opened that bottle with your teeth, but come the next day when your eyes are bloodshot she doesn’t give you a second look as you pass her on the way to the dentist for a missing molar.

I know for a fact that going out on ‘alternative’ (not the buttoned up, skinny jeans wearing type) night yields some great experiences. Where I’m at university, some of the best nights out have been on a Thursday. Tuesdays are also great. But then again maybe it’s because I can go out safe in the knowledge that I’m not going to throw up on my copy of Ulysses the next day – though I would hazard a guess that some people have.

Why did you choose to go to university?

Read Catherine's post on why and the benefits she sees in going to university.  

The world works in strange, cyclical movements.  Progression is made, only to find yourself back where you started.  And no, I’m not talking about the Earth’s orbit.

Remembering your first day at school is a fond memory.  It’s one that you often share with your parents while looking at an old picture of you in your little school uniform, everyone cooing and going gooey-eyed at this momentous occasion.  This is perfectly normal; I for one look adorable in my first-day-at-school-photo.  

However, what’s remembered less is the absolutely terrifying turn in your stomach when you walk through those school gates and realise that you are the smallest child BY FAR in the playground.  The same happens on your first day at high school, except that that first day is made slightly worse once you realise that your perfect uniform clearly singles you out for a few weeks of torment. 

I’m guessing you can see the pattern emerging.  University is yet another step into unknown territory and, once more, you are at the bottom of the pecking order.  As a history student looking for law work experience, it’s always frustrating when all the vacation schemes are for second or third years.  What’s even worse is that university was meant to be responsibility-free; we weren’t supposed to worry about real life and adulthood until after the fun filled, crazy years. 

So here we are, stuck in this pretty annoying cycle, and it all starts to seem a bit worthless. Often I can hear the grumblings of my flatmates – “What is the point of working all through university just to be told that your chances of getting a good job are slim?”  Debt, a long hard slog and demeaning prospects are never a good motivator. 

For me, university was never a question.  In that respect my decision was already made, and I never had to focus on the debates surrounding the benefits of a degree.  However, since starting at the University of Liverpool, I’ve realised the real plus points to being here.  Not only am I surrounded by people who have chosen to continue education and are willingly learning alongside me, but as a student I am being constantly encouraged to explore my future options and choices.  University has made me want to succeed and has shown me that I have so many different paths that I could take.  Having a degree is, of course, an integral part of my three year course, but so is learning to leave behind the seemingly never ending cycle that we feel stuck in.  I’m currently circling a massive roundabout, except I know now that I can get off it by more than one exit.  

Find her on Twitter @CatBatch