These next few paragraphs are dedicated to all of those people who put work, school, family, strangers and anything tangible enough to scribble in a planner, before themselves. Workaholics are the ones of whom I speak, so if you can't imagine letting anything get in the way of your television schedule, this is not the column for you.
Workaholics: You see them running down Court Street with a cup of coffee in one hand, juggling a cell phone and books in the other. In cozy cafes, they are flipping through their calendars wondering what they are forgetting to do. If you think this describes you, below are a few more telling characteristics of the working full-time student:
-If the week begins and ends in what feels like three days;
-If you see your roommates on the street, wave and realize that's the first time you've seen them in two days;
-If when you sit down to enjoy some free time, you fall asleep within 10 minutes;
-If the idea of having a day off sounds like heaven, but once you get it, you can't sit still long enough to enjoy it;
-If by Monday, you are so exhausted that you are ready to give up on the week entirely;
-If every task is broken down into units of time, and things like eating dinner, doing laundry and showering are overlooked if they take too much time out of your schedule;
-If your friends begin visiting you at work and know your schedule better than you;
-If your co-workers feel more like your family than the people who raised you;
-If your classes begin to feel like an afterthought, and you wonder why you have to go to them... until you remember school is the reason you are here to begin with;
-If screensavers with pictures of trees and the beach are your only quality time spent looking at the outdoors; and
-If your No. 1 dilemma is whether to get fired or to fail a class.
OK, so if you're a workaholic, it's not necessarily a bad attribute -businesses run smoothly because of you. However, here are a couple of pointers that will help the world that you rule keep from spinning out of control.
Treasure every second of your time off from work -keep worry (about anything) at a minimum.
Take time, whether you have it or not, to spend time with your friends. For many of us seniors, it really is the last time you will be able to spend quality time with these people.
Make a list of things that make your life harder and things that make your life easier. Write it all down, and then, systematically change tasks (or eliminate them) until they have all made it onto the side that helps you.
Avoid pettiness and negativity -it eats up your energy and time on things that will never matter-no matter how much someone is trying to convince you it is the most important thing that has happened to them in the twenty years they have been on this earth. Rest assured there will be a new drama next week that will send them and you into fits if you let them drag you in.
You are not perfect -so stop holding yourself to that standard. Breathe easy knowing that everyone is struggling along with you. Every time you make a mistake, thank God you are still young and have plenty of time to learn and forget about it. Every day is a new day and could be one of the best ever so remember to laugh at yourself while you are running down the street like the neurotic perfectionist that you are.
-Megan Cotten, a senior journalism major, is The Post's state editor. Send her an e-mail at megan.cotton@ohiou.edu.
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