Doing homework on a Saturday night really sucks

[ErinH]

I graduate in 2 weeks. My last class is Tuesday. I have 3 finals Tuesday. One is a presentation to AMRDEC, who is our Senior Design 'customer' where we must design a product and sell them on it. In addition to that presentation we have a written final which isn't that big of a deal.
The other is in the hardest class you take as an aero eng student so to say I'm working my butt of is an understatement. I'm doing well in the class with a solid A average, but it's not been easy, and the final will pretty much kick my *** no matter how prepared I am.

So, tonight I sit here on my butt (taking a break right now). I'm working on a presentation about miniature helicopters and larger helicopter's blowing them all over the place; a subject which I started studying only 3 weeks ago, lol. I'm going to get SLAMMED by the Army guys when I give my pitch, but such is life. I got my paper back from my instructor who pretty much tore me a new one. I'm just glad that I wasn't the only one in my group to get their *** handed to them. That's the first time I've felt like a complete idiot in a while, but our group still got the highest grade on their White Paper, so I guess I should be happy about that.

I'm also trying to study for the other final and it's pretty rough.

so, I just wanted to complain about being stressed the heck out and take a break in the meantime. At least this will be the last time I do this for at least a while, assuming I don't get my Masters (which isn't looking too enticing atm, lol).
I feel sorry for my dogs, who are just looking at me while being bored out of their little puppy minds.

/rant


Anyone else got finals coming up?

 

[MDS]

so, I just wanted to complain about being stressed the heck out and take a break in the meantime. At least this will be the last time I do this for at least a while, assuming I don't get my Masters (which isn't looking too enticing atm, lol).

Guess what? 'Homework' or at least the studying part of it never ends!

You've worked hard and obviously learned a lot and secured a good job. Now comes the real fun part...work. You'll do a lot of the same things you are doing now because technology doesn't stand still and you have to constantly keep learning but at least now you get paid to keep learning.

Someone once asked me if what I do is 'hard'. I said Yes and it gets harder every year but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[ErinH]

Guess what? 'Homework' or at least the studying part of it never ends!

You've worked hard and obviously learned a lot and secured a good job. Now comes the real fun part...work. You'll do a lot of the same things you are doing now because technology doesn't stand still and you have to constantly keep learning but at least now you get paid to keep learning.

Someone once asked me if what I do is 'hard'. I said Yes and it gets harder every year but I wouldn't have it any other way.

While I agree with what you're saying, I will say that work has always had a clear separation (for me at least, and some people are not as fortunate, or they choose not to be like this). When I get home, I don't bring my job with me. You flat out cannot do this with school. School looms over you like a rain cloud on a sunny day. It has for the past 5 years for me. I long for the weekend when I'm not worried about a test or assignment I have to turn in the next week.

Additionally, work allows you time to work. School is done on your own time. So, when you're already working 20-40 hours/week you don't have the 'same' time to complete assignments. Schoolwork is 'in addition to', always. I guess my point is that I have time to study work while I'm at work. School is on your own time.

Don't know why I bothered saying all that; I'm sure you already know this.

 

[MDS]

It's all good, you have the right perspective. It's just that sometimes work invades your life too. I have a lot of freedom and I work from home the vast majority of the time but there are times when work can be demanding and time gets away from you.

The whole work-life balance thing is what we all strive for but sometimes things get out of balance. But hey it beats being stuck in a mundane job you hate where you do the same thing all day every day.

 

[ErinH]

It's all good, you have the right perspective. It's just that sometimes work invades your life too. I have a lot of freedom and I work from home the vast majority of the time but there are times when work can be demanding and time gets away from you.

The whole work-life balance thing is what we all strive for but sometimes things get out of balance. But hey it beats being stuck in a mundane job you hate where you do the same thing all day every day.

That's true.


Something I've noticed is that the things that are the most interesting are usually some of the hardest to learn.

 

[Sheep]

The people that do homework on Saturday, end up fairly well-off in life.

Keep up the good work!

SheepStar

 

[cbraver]

I'm in engineering and have finals coming up next week also. I'm studying. Lame, but, whateva. We get pretty used to it after being in school for a while, no?

I agree with what you said about work. I'm sure there are some very busy jobs, but the mixture of pressure and always being on the clock from a difficult engineering program is tough to match in the workplace.

Good luck on your finals bro, and don't worry about getting torn a new one... most engineers are wankers, so, it comes with the territory.

 

[MDS]

I'm sure there are some very busy jobs, but the mixture of pressure and always being on the clock from a difficult engineering program is tough to match in the workplace.

I disagree with that for one simple reason. The higher you get promoted and the more your salary increases, the more you have to do. It depends on the job of course but 'always on the clock' is a given for some jobs; even though in reality you are never on the clock because you are paid salary. Instead of everything being based on time, it is based on goals and calendar deadlines. If everything is going smoothly you may be able to accomplish everything working 9 - 5 on weekdays but that is sometimes just not the case.

You guys that are finishing up demanding engineering programs will have fond memories of school despite the hardships and no one can ever take that away from you. But the professional world can be just as demanding, if not more so. It's not easy...and that is exactly why it has value.

 

[ErinH]

I disagree with that for one simple reason. The higher you get promoted and the more your salary increases, the more you have to do. It depends on the job of course but 'always on the clock' is a given for some jobs; even though in reality you are never on the clock because you are paid salary. Instead of everything being based on time, it is based on goals and calendar deadlines. If everything is going smoothly you may be able to accomplish everything working 9 - 5 on weekdays but that is sometimes just not the case.

You guys that are finishing up demanding engineering programs will have fond memories of school despite the hardships and no one can ever take that away from you. But the professional world can be just as demanding, if not more so. It's not easy...and that is exactly why it has value.

I know this is true. My father is in this boat, and I constantly hear my supervisors talking about working during the weekend.

I think this winds up being a personal call: if you want to climb the ladder you have to do a lot more work. Obvious, but some people just don't put the two together in terms of real-world "I'll have my weekends free" terms.

From what I see, though, this is pretty much limited to managers and not the engineers or techs. The system engineers (aka: management) are working all the time.

The day will come when I have to make that decision and I don't dare presume to know what I would say. Hopefully my wife will be making enough money for me not to have to make a drastic choice.

 

[cbraver]

I disagree with that for one simple reason. The higher you get promoted and the more your salary increases, the more you have to do. It depends on the job of course but 'always on the clock' is a given for some jobs; even though in reality you are never on the clock because you are paid salary. Instead of everything being based on time, it is based on goals and calendar deadlines. If everything is going smoothly you may be able to accomplish everything working 9 - 5 on weekdays but that is sometimes just not the case.

You guys that are finishing up demanding engineering programs will have fond memories of school despite the hardships and no one can ever take that away from you. But the professional world can be just as demanding, if not more so. It's not easy...and that is exactly why it has value.

There are no doubt exceptions, I agree. However, not the majority. I'm not complaining regardless, it is what it is.

In my experience there is a dramatic difference between learning and doing. You certainly learn in the workplace (and, in our profession, need to progressively), but learning constantly like at school is more tiring for me. 4 hours of studying tends to tire me out more than 4 hours of work. A week of studying tends to wear me out more than a week of work. I'm saying that if time is held equal, school tires me out more.

I'll have fond memories of school, no doubt. Most of which I'd get banned if I mentioned here.

 

[ErinH]

School and work are entirely different beasts. I have enough experience to make that call.

I have no fear of getting fired if I goof on my calculations because there are MANY checks and balances. (let's all agree, b/c I think that in broad terms this is true everywhere)

However, at school, I'm the only check... if I goof on a test that's it: F. No getting out of it. You screw up once and you're SOL.


to me, the stress at school is much worse than anything I've experienced.

 

[stratman]

It's all good fellas, look on the bright side, at least none of you will be stuck in some third world sweatshop building cables for Monster or sneakers for NIKE at a $1.00 a day. Nothing like opportunity.

 

[cbraver]

Nod. It's not a bad gig having your full time job being "learning," as lame as that sounds. I'm looking forward to getting back to work this summer, though, and then I only have one semester left before graduation. I graduate something like four days before Christmas, haha. Graduation will be more annoying than studying for the finals before. I hate those types of things. Then Christmas, right after, for another dose of it. haha