I thought college was tough, but in the last few weeks I received a strong dose of reality and it’s definitely going to take some getting used to.

I’m now a true member of the full-time working community, and to be completely honest, I kind of want to go back to being a child.

The adult life is not at all what it’s cracked up to be. Constant lack of sleep, desperately waiting for payday. Spending all my money on gas and groceries. Consistently feeling like a walking zombie. And having no time for anything other than work, cooking, quick gym sesh (which I’m surprised I manage to get through) and finally showering and sleeping!

The work week allots little to no time for people, leaving my days feeling quite sad and lonely. After just three days of working full-time, I balled my eyes out because of the intense stress that comes along with it.

The truth is, I don’t like it, but weirdly enough, amongst all the negative aspects of working full-time, I honestly can say I love it, too!

It’s such a huge adjustment from the freeness of college and working part-time jobs. I went from having so much free time, to quickly having no time to even breathe peacefully.

I enjoy knowing that these long hours and my hard work is translating into a decent pay check. I love knowing that everyday I’m being productive and earnestly making a meaningful future for myself and my family to come.

Surprisingly, working is teaching me far greater responsibility than college ever has. At work I have strict deadlines that have to be met for the purpose of others and for the success of the business. I have people who are counting on me to succeed and show up on time ready to work. So far this experience has truly caused me to be engaged in work, encouraged me to be mentally challenged and is accompanied by a pure sense of accomplishment.

Every day I come home from work, my body is screaming for me to lie down and relax, but oddly enough, my brain is immediately rerouting by telling me to stay productive. To cook, clean, organize and prepare for the days to come. Working full-time is slowly encouraging me to be consistent as an all-around more productive and responsible young adult.

Maybe it’s a part of who I am, but I just love the idea of waking up and knowing I have things to do and places to be. Transitioning from school and part-time jobs to working full-time jobs has definitely been a challenge, no doubt. Full length of sleep and true relaxation has quickly become obsolete. The first week I managed to have a mental breakdown and I wondered if I could actually enjoy and get used to working long hours.

However, I’m now four weeks in, and although I’m still new to this whole realm of full-time employment, I can definitely say it gets more manageable. I’ve learned to adjust my sleep schedule and focus on the weeks ahead in small tasks to not get so overwhelmed.

I commend all who work full-time and especially those who have other obligations such as families, schooling, other jobs, etc. It’s a tough world out there, but I hold high hope for success in myself when seeing so many people living flourishing and successful working lives themselves!