While working third shift and going to college full time seems impossible, sometimes you're left with no other options. With the right amount of discipline (and naps), you eventually acclimate yourself to the job atmosphere that comes to life between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. In order to get through it, there really are only about thirteen thoughts that run through your mind when working at such odd hours. And of course, most of them involve sleep.
1.) All of the normal people are asleep now.
If I had gone to sleep at a normal time like all of my friends, I would've been asleep for at least three hours already, and I would've gotten a solid eight hours in by the time I should be awake for class tomorrow.
2.) I'm so glad I got that nap in earlier.
The answer is no, I'm not having any sort of mid-life crisis that requires me to sleep at 7:30, I would just rather be a functioning human being tomorrow than watch that episode of Grey's Anatomy.
3.) I have to get up so early tomorrow.
By early, I mean 2 p.m., which means I'll only get about three hours of sleep. RIP me.
4.) I hate everything.
My god, it's so late and I'm so tired and nothing makes sense to me anymore. I just heard someone humming and got irrationally angry.
5.) No one has any patience here, myself included.
Did they really just fill in the wrong paperwork? Morons, I work with morons. And if someone snaps at me one more time, I swear, I don't care who they are, I will punch them right in the face.
6.) I wonder if I'll be home before sunrise.
Being up and at work this late/early in the morning means seeing the sun can actually burn your eyes if you're tired enough. And yes, I keep sunglasses in my car for this exact reason.
7.) Is that guy really sleeping over there?
What a smart dude. Maybe I can take a nap in the parking lot before I have to drive home.
8.) Does today mean today or tomorrow?
You will never not need this kind of clarification. Bonus points if you start thinking in military time, too.
9.) Insomnia? Never heard of it.
In fact, I was sleeping standing up just now.
10.) If anyone mows the lawn or even breathes too loud tomorrow between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., I might lose it.
These are the sacred quiet hours, I'm not afraid to hit the wall mercilessly until you stop with that awful noise.
11.) I quit.
You've probably quit or at least talked about quitting to your coworkers at least 20 times. In one night. Yet there you are on the very next day, punching in at midnight and ready to start all over again.
12.) I really don't want to be here.
And by that, I mean there isn't a Stephen King movie you wouldn't reenact if it meant you could be at home, asleep, and still getting paid the same amount.
13.) Ok, maybe this isn't too bad.
At the end of the day, a job is a job. It's not as important to love your part time job as it is to love your full-time future career. Everyone has to have at least one tough job in order to appreciate the career they're working toward.
