Family Dependence Situation (blessed but...)

[RCIAGraduate]

Today I just realized I’m facing a double-edged sword. Or basically a situation with a very good aspect but several drawbacks.

First to the good news, I’m happy to report that my family has been so supportive that I never had to work a day in my life. Like all families, there are rocky times and issues, but materially, they have provided all my needs and seem to be ready to do whatever it takes for me to get through school. As a result, I never had to support myself.

That opens me up to several issues. During my school years and up to now in the university, I focused on padding my resume by trying to be involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs. Now I’m in my second year of college and I realize I am going to graduate with a social sciences degree (Economics) with little to no work experience (even if I started now). Looking back, I feel this might have hindered my maturity as well as making me extremely more vulnerable compared to peers who had job experience.

The thing is, right now I’m struggling with school (irresponsible time management) and getting a job while initially appearing to be a possible conflict to my academic might seem like a good way to balance myself (that and not being a bone-head and scheduling my classes better). Also, do you think for me, joining the armed forces might also be a good idea -for me to grow as a person,get out of the nest, and learn to discipline myself.

For those irked by the non-religious nature of the thread, please pardon me.
As an online community I welcome your thoughts and (name removed by moderator)uts.

Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving Season.

 

[Xantippe]

Today I just realized I’m facing a double-edged sword. Or basically a situation with a very good aspect but several drawbacks.

First to the good news, I’m happy to report that my family has been so supportive that I never had to work a day in my life. Like all families, there are rocky times and issues, but materially, they have provided all my needs and seem to be ready to do whatever it takes for me to get through school. As a result, I never had to support myself.

That opens me up to several issues. During my school years and up to now in the university, I focused on padding my resume by trying to be involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs. Now I’m in my second year of college and I realize I am going to graduate with a social sciences degree (Economics) with little to no work experience (even if I started now). Looking back, I feel this might have hindered my maturity as well as making me extremely more vulnerable compared to peers who had job experience.

The thing is, right now I’m struggling with school (irresponsible time management) and getting a job while initially appearing to be a possible conflict to my academic might seem like a good way to balance myself (that and not being a bone-head and scheduling my classes better). Also, do you think for me, joining the armed forces might also be a good idea -for me to grow as a person,get out of the nest, and learn to discipline myself.

For those irked by the non-religious nature of the thread, please pardon me.
As an online community I welcome your thoughts and (name removed by moderator)uts.

Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving Season.

I think you may find (paradoxically) that a heavier academic load is easier to carry.

But, how about doing your best to finish out the term successfully, and then look for a job in Jan.–if you are sure that your spring term is easier than your fall term? You’ve got less than a month of school left this term if you’re on a typical US college schedule.

Also, do you need tutoring in any particular subject?

I think you’re right that work experience (even very humble work experience) will be good for you. It will give you more confidence and give you a better resume (many people will be spooked about hiring someone for a very first job). There’s also the issue of internships.

I think you’re right on track thinking about this, so don’t worry that it’s too late.

 

[St_Francis]

In the middle of college would probably not be a good time to join the military full-time. You could investigate ROTC or the National Guard, but that might not be as good as getting a regular job and concentrating on your studies.

 

[RCIAGraduate]

In the middle of college would probably not be a good time to join the military full-time.

Oh dear, silly me, I meant after my graduation.

It seems to me that many college graduates struggle after attaining diplomas and there’s the stereotype about the social science degree (and I’m a social science student) ending up having to work at Starbucks after graduation. I would like to avoid that. I need to grow discipline.

Also, do you need tutoring in any particular subject?

I’m also fortunate in that there are supportive resources out there such as helpful classmates and office hours. Like I said before, I need that discipline and some initiative.

Thank you for the posts so far, St.Francis and Xantippe.

 

[pensmama87]

If you haven’t already, I’d make good friends with the folks at the career office. I know our college has an alumni Facebook page and there are tons of job postings there.

Knock on Starbucks if you want, but jobs like that can teach you a lot about discipline, and you still earn wages. Even if you got a 9-5, if you’re graduating with debt I might recommend getting an additional job anyway just to pay it off sooner before you’ve got other responsibilities like family.

 

[Xantippe]

If you haven’t already, I’d make good friends with the folks at the career office. I know our college has an alumni Facebook page and there are tons of job postings there.

Knock on Starbucks if you want, but jobs like that can teach you a lot about discipline, and you still earn wages. Even if you got a 9-5, if you’re graduating with debt I might recommend getting an additional job anyway just to pay it off sooner before you’ve got other responsibilities like family.

Right.

Starbucks could be a fabulous job IN college.

Don’t fuss about the stereotypes. They don’t really apply to economics majors–nobody says, “Hey, economics, you must have been going for the easy A”.

My question would be–what do you want to be when you grow up? If it’s something in business, work backwards from there and get experience in business (which could be Starbucks) and maybe toss in an extra course or two that would make you a more attractive employee. Maybe start reading job advertisements and start working your way toward having those qualifications? The career center people will be able to help. Also, there should occasionally be campus job fairs.

I’m a little hesitant about the military for you, because at least from what you’ve said so far, it sounds like you can get what you want from the military elsewhere and without making such a major detour. If you would like to be a military officer, that’s a possibility (I bet they definitely have a place for an economics major). But I wouldn’t do it if it’s not something you are truly passionate about and it adds another layer of “what am I going to do with my life?” once you get out.

Even the humblest activities make money for the people that own them. One of my siblings spends a lot of time doing stereotypical fast food work and getting covered with grease–but she OWNS the deep fryer and she and her husband own a number of businesses.

 

[Lorelei12]

I think it’s good that you are realizing this now- I think it would be worthwhile to get a job and it would probably help you learn to manage your time better.

You might want to consider finding an on-campus job, especially if you live there. There are a lot of opportunities for campus employment- dining services, bookstore, library, labs, research, and so on, and they all work well with student schedules, and many start out at only a few hours a week. (Many of them go first to students with work-study though, so you’d have to look into that.) Also, your second year might be a bit early, but as a junior or senior you might want to consider an internship.

 

[KnitNut]

Before the job thing, I’d get the “struggling with school” thing sorted out. Hit your college’s learning center, attend the time management workshops, speak with your academic advisor and professors…whatever you need to do to solidify your school standing. If your transcript is your major selling point at the moment, make it the best it can be. Get the grades up, get the time organized as it stands already.

Next, ditto the career office suggestion. Check into internships, which give you (paid or unpaid, there are various structures) job experience within your field. Never too early to network, as well as gain job skills that are directly relevant to your interests and education.

Third, consider joining a professional organization in the field(s) you’d possibly like to work (banking, research, data analytics, etc) - attend their meetings, meet other people doing what you think you’d like to do. They usually offer student membership rates, and the larger ones will have student chapters as well as student events and educational opportunities. Example: American Economic Association.

Fourth, look at your degree plan. Do you need to tweak it to be more marketable? Would adding a minor or a concentration in business, management, data analysis, foreign language, writing, or some other related topic be of interest to you?

 

[Xantippe]

About the study and time management thing–there is a small possibility that you may have undaignosed adult ADHD. I have known at least one case of a student who seemed bright but a little lazy in high school, struggled in college, and was then diagnosed with ADHD. She spent years in college and never made it through.

I’ve also known a very successful person (VERY successful) who has the attention span of a hummingbird. The secret of his success is that he attacks projects with huge energy and enthusiasm, finishes them quickly, and then attacks the next project.

If you did have ADHD (or even if not), you might find yourself more successful in an environment where you do a little of this, a little of that in a slightly chaotic high energy environment, rather than a job where you grind away quietly at a single task for weeks.

There’s also the issue of structure. When there is a high pressure environment or a heavy schedule, that provides a certain degree of structure. That might be important for you.

I would suggest figuring out what kind of critter you are and then figuring out where you belong and how to get there. Definitely figure out out your working style before you finish your sophomore year.

Good luck!

 

[midori]

Get yourself a day planner or something that you can use to organize your time with.

Pick two extracurriculars you’d like to maintain regularly. Drop all the others after the end of the fall semester. They don’t have to be related to your field— they can be clog-dancing and anime club, if you want-- but don’t let them distract you from what your job is, which is studying and graduating. Leadership is okay; networking is okay; but there are other ways to stand out that have more oomph than “I was secretary for my student organization.”

A degree is a piece of paper that unlocks doors. It’s a way of culling people out. “Do you have a degree?” is a good way for HR to turn a six-inch pile of resumes into a 2-inch pile of resumes. Many people end up in fields that have little to do with what they originally studied, and that’s okay.

Talk to your department about on-campus work-study. The hours themselves aren’t important, and the money isn’t going to be peanuts. Even the work isn’t necessarily important— but can you make it sound good on paper and interesting to talk about in an interview? (For example, my fall semester freshman year, I worked in the cafeteria, because nothing good was open at the time… blah… but spent the spring doing transcription work for the oral history department. Then I spent my last three years working in the university’s museum. Good stuff for conversation, and it was pertinent to my field.)

Check the “help wanted” ads for the positions you envision yourself applying for. What sort of experiences/talents are desired? Choose electives that give you that experience. (ie, I was positioning myself for a track where strong photographic skills were preferred, so I took a semester of b&w photography. I had the strong writing skills which were necessary, but I took Intro to Journalism to strengthen them even more.)

You already know all the classes you need to graduate with your degree, right? That’s all mapped out already, right? And you’re already registered for the spring, right? Sort them out— these are the classes I need to take junior fall, junior spring, senior fall, senior spring. Can you graduate on time? Is there anything looming that requires a disproportionate amount of time-- chemistry, foreign language? Try to take those hours over the summer at a local community college and transfer them. It’ll (a) be less rigorous than at a four-year; (b) let you focus; and (c) frees up your time. Figure out exactly what you need to do to graduate on schedule, and figure out where you plan on being in five years. Figure out what you need to do to get from Point A to Point B, get enthused about the journey (and not just the destination), and act accordingly. Good luck!

 

[Convert1]

Today I just realized I’m facing a double-edged sword. Or basically a situation with a very good aspect but several drawbacks.

First to the good news, I’m happy to report that my family has been so supportive that I never had to work a day in my life. Like all families, there are rocky times and issues, but materially, they have provided all my needs and seem to be ready to do whatever it takes for me to get through school. As a result, I never had to support myself.

That opens me up to several issues. During my school years and up to now in the university, I focused on padding my resume by trying to be involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs. Now I’m in my second year of college and I realize I am going to graduate with a social sciences degree (Economics) with little to no work experience (even if I started now). Looking back, I feel this might have hindered my maturity as well as making me extremely more vulnerable compared to peers who had job experience.

The thing is, right now I’m struggling with school (irresponsible time management) and getting a job while initially appearing to be a possible conflict to my academic might seem like a good way to balance myself (that and not being a bone-head and scheduling my classes better). Also, do you think for me, joining the armed forces might also be a good idea -for me to grow as a person,get out of the nest, and learn to discipline myself.

For those irked by the non-religious nature of the thread, please pardon me.
As an online community I welcome your thoughts and (name removed by moderator)uts.

Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving Season.

Just a thought: There are probably multiple accounting firms in your area that would love a volunteer intern during the busy season (which starts in January) You can place this on your resume as an internship and you do not have to specify if it was paid or unpaid. Any firm that would be related to your major would be beneficial. And it may lead to a paid position later. I have to tell you, I see more graduates every year, just like you. Unfortunately, your return on your investment (or your parents’ investment) may take a while to realize. At least you are recognizing your need to gain experience now. Some folks wait until graduation which really puts them further behind.

 

[Xantippe]

Get yourself a day planner or something that you can use to organize your time with.

Pick two extracurriculars you’d like to maintain regularly. Drop all the others after the end of the fall semester. They don’t have to be related to your field— they can be clog-dancing and anime club, if you want-- but don’t let them distract you from what your job is, which is studying and graduating. Leadership is okay; networking is okay; but there are other ways to stand out that have more oomph than “I was secretary for my student organization.”

A degree is a piece of paper that unlocks doors. It’s a way of culling people out. “Do you have a degree?” is a good way for HR to turn a six-inch pile of resumes into a 2-inch pile of resumes. Many people end up in fields that have little to do with what they originally studied, and that’s okay.

Talk to your department about on-campus work-study. The hours themselves aren’t important, and the money isn’t going to be peanuts. Even the work isn’t necessarily important— but can you make it sound good on paper and interesting to talk about in an interview? (For example, my fall semester freshman year, I worked in the cafeteria, because nothing good was open at the time… blah… but spent the spring doing transcription work for the oral history department. Then I spent my last three years working in the university’s museum. Good stuff for conversation, and it was pertinent to my field.)

Check the “help wanted” ads for the positions you envision yourself applying for. What sort of experiences/talents are desired? Choose electives that give you that experience. (ie, I was positioning myself for a track where strong photographic skills were preferred, so I took a semester of b&w photography. I had the strong writing skills which were necessary, but I took Intro to Journalism to strengthen them even more.)

You already know all the classes you need to graduate with your degree, right? That’s all mapped out already, right? And you’re already registered for the spring, right? Sort them out— these are the classes I need to take junior fall, junior spring, senior fall, senior spring. Can you graduate on time? Is there anything looming that requires a disproportionate amount of time-- chemistry, foreign language? Try to take those hours over the summer at a local community college and transfer them. It’ll (a) be less rigorous than at a four-year; (b) let you focus; and (c) frees up your time. Figure out exactly what you need to do to graduate on schedule, and figure out where you plan on being in five years. Figure out what you need to do to get from Point A to Point B, get enthused about the journey (and not just the destination), and act accordingly. Good luck!

Very good!

Another tip is to work in your department’s office. You’ll learn a lot and have a chance to see more of your professors than you would in a 200 person lecture.