Sleeping all day and staying up all night. Summer. Where hours and days pass by while every moment feels the same as the one before. I imagined every summer to be similar to the one before. Oh how wrong I was.
This time last year I was getting ready for my freshman year of college. All giddy from graduation, sleeping until the scorching hot hours of the day and doing almost nothing every day, one could assume the great level of joy I felt once I hit summer break once again. Unfortunately, once you leave high school you actually have other obligations. This summer I spent almost every single day working eight hour shifts. And while most people would cringe at the idea, I actually became fond of working so many hours a week.
For one, I was able to save up money for the school year. But for the majority of it, I met some great people along the way. Whether it was coworkers or customers, I had a good story each day I returned home. Any job, whatever it is, has its own difficulties. You get tired, sometimes upset and some days there are moments where you don't even want to go into work. It gets to a point where you would consider calling out sick just to get out of your shift. Though I've had many of those moments, it has been rewarding to fulfill every shift I've had. I don't have as many responsibilities as an actual adult, but I do think I've taken away some qualities from working 35 hours a week.
Every person should experience interning or taking a job each summer of your college career. While I enjoyed spending my days in bed or by the pool, I enjoyed earning my own money. Though I don't pay bills or pay for most of the tangible and intangible things that make up my life, I was able to pay for little things such as food and clothes. This may not seem like a lot, but for a college student eager to learn, it meant the world.
So while some days are difficult they are the most rewarding. Aside from learning how to work in a team, maintaining responsibility, there is a greater lesson I learned. A job allows you to interact with people. The interactions can truly impact a person’s life. With that being said, how you decide to act ultimately impacts the other person’s day. While there were days that I wished I was somewhere else, many times I put that behind me in order to make either my coworkers’ or customers’ day just a little better. And I know I can take those qualities into this fall semester as everyone is fighting their own battles. Though I wish I could have spent more time actually relaxing, I do not regret working almost every day to achieve some qualities that I will take with me through my life.
