University vs the real world – Blog 4

July 19, 2016 5:44 pm Published by Olivia Watt Leave your thoughts

I have a feeling most recent graduates will be able to relate when I say I couldn’t wait to be finished with my post-secondary education. No more papers, midterms, finals, and – my personal pet peeve – homework. University is nothing like a part-time job where when your shift is over, you go home and don’t have to think about it. School was always on my mind.

Oddly enough, I thought a full-time job would be similar to that part time experience in the sense that when work is over for the day I wouldn’t think about it anymore. I’ve learned that isn’t necessarily true, especially when the job is related to my chosen career. It’s true I don’t have homework anymore, but since I began this internship at Canfor, I am always thinking about how I can learn more or how I can do a better job on the tasks I have been assigned. I have also realized that the working world is not as easy as I thought it was going to be.

In comparison to work life, university is pretty straightforward. Students basically choose their schedules and often have free time during the day. For example, I selected Monday to Thursday classes so I could have a long weekend, even though one day was almost dedicated to homework. As everyone who works, if you are a full-time employee, a long weekend is generally a statutory holiday and happens once a month.

When I first started at Canfor, I definitely struggled a bit with getting up at 6 a.m., making a lunch and fretting about whether public transportation would always be reliable so I was at work on time. I also felt tired. I wondered if I would adjust to the five-day work routine. Yet, all my colleagues appeared to be happy, rested employees. I even wondered at one point if I was going to make it through the whole summer, but two weeks made all the difference.

I am happy to report that I have adjusted and I enjoy my work more than university studies. It is so great to learn about human resources and the forest industry through real work experience. Now I’m wondering what it will be like when I return to university for my post baccalaureate studies in September.

I like waking up in the morning with a purpose and determination to come to work. I know Canfor and the team I work with have a lot to do with it. They are always happy and positive and it’s obvious that everyone cares about one another. I look forward to each new assignment and the opportunity to learn something new every single day.

It’s safe to say that from my perspective the real world is definitely better than university.

Thanks for reading!

-Olivia