Young Roots
Life after college
By Johanne Margarette R. Macob
A FRIEND who is about to graduate from college asked me last night what is more enjoyable, life in school or life in the “real world”. I answered outright, “Of course life in the real world.” Then I realized I have been in this, so to say,“real world” for just about a year while I was a school girl for 15 years, but still I did find this “real life” more pleasurable.
I mulled over the answer I gave. Perhaps, I view ‘enjoyable’ way different from the shallow sense of it. Being in the real world, working your butt off, and getting something good for doing such, I believe, is more pleasurable than studying hard and getting good grades. Why? I guess it’s the distinction of goals. When I was a student, my goal was simple: to get the highest grades possible in order to graduate with flying colors. Now, as part of the workforce, my initial goal, which was simply to practice my profession and earn a living, seemed to have branched out. I want to work and earn and study again, then work, then build my house, help out with nephews and nieces’ education, and a whole lot more. The goals are more – if I may say – pragmatic.
Further, I think the achievements in the real world are more satisfying than those in school, no matter how small they are. Indeed, every tiny attainment matters a lot as it’s just mainly you who worked for it. Also, in the real world it’s mainly us who shell out for our needs as opposed to the allowance we got back when were students. The triumphs and even outlays are way more pragmatic as well.
I won’t discount the fact that at the onset — or even at certain points — of the working life, missing the student life is normal. Our life as a student is our comfort zone, it was my comfort zone. Back then, it was nothing but natural to fail at times, it was so okay to not get all lessons, and being absent was not that much of big deal. Not that I’m saying that it is not okay to fail and all that in the real world, but the consequences of doing such now are way more serious and thus responsibility must be leveled up. That’s it: life in the real world is a bar — or perhaps 100 bars — higher than that of the life in the four corners of the classroom.
Life as a student is one of the best stages. However, life as a member of the workforce is the most satisfying phase once we get to know our life-long targets. There is no other part of our life that will bring us the closest to our dreams than that of being in the real world.
Being just about a year in the real world, I guess I need not say more as those older than me in here know so much more while those next in line will soon get to learn the lessons themselves. For now the rule’s simple: we just have to keep in mind that the most difficult is the most rewarding, this is life.
Congratulations to all the graduates and welcome to the real world!!!
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