College Life vs. Work life

The adjustment from the college life to a full time work life is harder than you think. This internship has taught me some vital lessons in working in the business world. It also has really made me think about the differences and adjustments one has to make entering the business world. It can be hard to transfer from one setting to another and that is why I believe internships really help us get a better understanding of the working life.

1. A difference I have found personally is how different each day can be. One day you could be working on one thing and the next a completely different task. There is not a set schedule of the exact same work you will be doing every day. In school, we have set times for classes and syllabuses that tell us exactly what we are going to be learning for the entire semester.
    
2. At school I do not have to wake up at until about 15 minutes before my class to be there on time and I do not have to look that presentable because, let’s be honest, it is just class. However in the business world I wake up about an hour and a half before the time I arrive in the office. I also like to look presentable because you will never know who you might meet that day. This is a change for me because I am not a morning person whatsoever.
    
3. Another difference I have found is how long or short a day can go. In the work life we are here from 8:30-5:30, which I would classify as all day. We are working with the same people and the same department. Whereas in school, we are always shifting classrooms and different people. We are also not thinking about the same thing all day. We are learning different subjects making us think differently.

Colton Ebersole

Valuation Services/Destination Services Intern