Why You Should Live Your Student Life On A 9-5
You’re probably thinking something along the lines of, “doesn’t that defeat the purpose of being a student?” To a degree, it does, but that’s why you have four years of undergrad. Personally, I used my first 2-3 years of higher education to have fun every weekend, stay up late and sleep instead of attending a few classes (or more than a few at times), but my final year I knew it was time to really buckle down. At the time of my final spring term of undergrad, I had applied solely to Newhouse for the advertising master’s program, and knew that whether I attended the School or got myself an entry-level job, I would need to be prepared to hit the ground running. Too many people use their last moments of undergrad to get in as much fun as they can before they have to start “adulting”, but if you don’t use that time wisely, you’ll end up being pretty shitty at living the adult life.
By insisting that you should live on a 9-5 schedule, I don’t literally mean 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. due to the fact that not everyone will be revolving around those work hours. Rather, you should ensure that you’re getting at least a full, connected 8 hours of productivity in a day. Most people I know have worked jobs in high school and on break from college, but until you have a professional career, you have no idea how exhausting 8 hours of work really is, assuming a 40-hour work week. By getting a jump start on that lifestyle, you can cushion your landing into the adult work and be on your game from Day One.
The most important thing is consistency; no more skipping, no more rescheduling so you can hit the bar at 2 p.m. on a whim with your roommate, nothing of the sort. It’s hard to watch other students live a free life while you’re chained down by self-accountability, but it pays off when they’re jobless living with their parents and you’ve been polished and job- or graduate-ready for months. Every day, I wake up at the same time (7 a.m., regrettably), have classes and work hours at the same times, and breaks at the same times. After the 8 hours is up I’m free to do as I please, but I make the most out of those hours during the day to keep myself on track.
“But Garrett, I don’t have 8 hours of obligations during the day.” Yes you do. If you don’t have immediate work to do or class to be in, there’s always something you can do. I’ve always tried to make sure that the gaps in my classes are filled with either strategically-planned work hours, extracurricular duties, or simply time allotted to sit at a quiet table and crank out some homework or studying. Some nights I don’t do the reading for class the following day because I know that I have a two-hour break to handle it during the morning. Living by the schedule pays off as long as you’re committed to working hard from start to finish.
Whether you’re going to work a 9-5 or a 3-11, you’re not going to start very strong unless you’re ready in advance.
