A few months ago, I interviewed for a co-op position, got an offer, and started working. I was extremely happy to be working full-time for the first time, but I also didn’t know what to expect. Here are some of the differences I noticed between working full-time and taking a full course load. 

Early Morning, Every Day

Remember the feeling when you have to wake up - when it’s still dark outside - to take a bus to campus and attend an early class? Now, imagine doing that every day, all week round. 

9 to 5 is Real!

During work, there’s barely anytime to procrastinate. You are often asked to get something done by a specific time, and you can’t postpone working on that, at least not for long.  

Off Work Means Off Work 

When you’re a student, you’re constantly thinking about your upcoming assignments or papers outside of lectures or tutorials. There’s no turning the switch off. But when you work, all your worries are confined between 9am and 5pm.  

It is Monday’s Problem 

Have you ever started your weekend thinking about how much school work you should get done in two days? Well, if you’re only working full-time, you can relax all weekend, be lazy and binge watch Netflix or go out and party. Everything else is Monday’s problem. 

Bonding Time 

While working, you spend a lot of time with your co-workers. If you’re lucky, you might even make one or two close friends and start having fun at work. 

Ideas Take Some Time 

In general, but mostly when you are in an entry level position at a company, it takes some time for your ideas to be considered. When you pitch an idea, it has to go through your manager and then if good enough, your manager’s manager and so on. This is quite different from when you have an idea for a school paper, and you can make the decision to do some research and write on it. 

Getting Paid

I don’t think this one needs an explanation.

No Academic Validation

I kept this last because it is obvious that there would be no academic validation in working. What I never realized was how much my sense of self-worth is tied to academic validation. In my first few weeks, I kept asking myself what am I doing here? What am I accomplishing? And, it took me a while to adapt to the fact that work projects can take weeks or months to be completed and that I should move my attention (and sense of self-worth) from the result to the process itself. 

So, which one is better? Having a flexible school schedule and having to worry all the time or having a fixed schedule and working 9 to 5 every day? Getting approval for an idea before starting to work on it within a team or writing a paper on your idea and fulfilling the need for academic validation? The answer is I don’t know, it depends! It depends on your school’s culture, your work dynamic, and most importantly, it depends on you.