Back To School
The average life follows a linear path: a person goes to school, moves away for college, joins the workforce, lands a spouse, and ultimately shifts focus to the next generation. In the board-game Life, you can fit that all into one afternoon…and you get to skip puberty. But, unless you steal play-money from the bank when no one’s looking, which journey is more satisfying? No matter how many times you roll a “10”, the simulation will always pale in comparison to the real deal—with all of its variables, emotions, and surprises.
With the same logic, though, I would even say that the real linear life leaves something to be desired. Not to say that we should completely buck convention on the path to maturity (our war-time ancestors didn’t have a choice), but a few twists and turns never hurt. My internship this summer was one such diversion—I got a taste of office life before matriculating to college—and the experience was beneficial. My only concern is that I’ll be too much of a stiff when thrust back into the student life come mid-September.
Even the simple things, like living with a roommate, will require some adjustment. I’ve been able to concentrate all summer within the semi-privacy of a cubicle, but it’s doubtful that my dorm room will insulate desks in the same manner. Would it be rude, bizarre, both, or neither to place a plastic wall between my roommates workspace and my own? And if it creates tension, will our RA resolve the problem as effectively as a corporate HR rep? I need to forget these luxuries.
I also run the risk of entering a classroom with flawed expectations. Though most universities boast a student-oriented faculty that is prepared to spend time with pupils outside of lecture, I doubt that any would want to compare work-hours with my boss. Seriously, this is a media specialist that is willing to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and overtime! I guess people care most about your quality of work when they are paying for it. (The same reason our building managers insist that the indoor gardeners water the plants for five whole hours at a time).
Perhaps the best thing I picked up at DailyMe was the art of professional decorum, but even this will be a mixed blessing in my new environment. It’s been a season of well-articulated greetings and firm handshakes, two tools seldom used amongst my peers. They say that giving a hi-five is like riding a bike, but my form is mechanical and out-of-practice. I shudder at the thought of re-learning higher level street skills like the shake n’ snap, the pinky swear, and especially the roundhouse kick.
As you can see, my successful release back into the wild will require some effort. But do I regret taking a quick break from the straight-and-narrow life’s usual order of events? Not even for a second. It was like a non-committal opportunity to try out different career cards, which is better than choosing one arbitrarily on the 21st space of your proverbial game board. I only have a couple weeks left!
Peace, Love, and Personalized Media.
-John the Intern
