Saturday, February 2, 2008

There's Enough to Go Around

Personal responsibility is one of my favorite subjects, but I get a little frustrated when 'my generation' is chastised for our lack thereof.

I'm going to take my two roommates and myself for an example.

Me:
  • Senior, Electrical Engineering. High Honors
  • Job 1: Research Assistant
  • Job 2: Grading papers
  • Extracurriculars: CFO of the business office for a national corporation, Emeritus President and Conference Programming Chair for an honor society, active member of another honor society, volunteer for new student programs
  • Other time consuming things: Independent research project, senior design project
Roommate #1
  • Junior, Civil Engineering
  • Job: Front desk worker, local fitness center
  • Extracurriculars: Director of business office for national corporation, Newsletter and Housing Chair for regional conference, professional society
  • Other time consuming things: Volleyball on a weekly basis, boyfriend
Roommate #2
  • Senior, Mechanical Engineering. Honors
  • Job: TA for sophomore lab
  • Extracurriculars: President of honor society, member of another
  • Other time consuming things: getting surgeries
I could go on with my immediate circle of friends, but you get the idea. (And please bear with me; I'm not trying to brag.)

Hearing about college students who get to kick back and have mommy and daddy buy everything irritates no one more than those of us working jobs, going to school, and attempting extracurriculars that don't involve a beer bong. Splurging for us is splitting an Applebee's half priced appetizer or chipping in gas money (with our parents) to go home.

This entry is directed at those students who are cruising by on someone else's goodwill: You're pissing off those of us who work. You don't have to stop partying. You don't have to get a job. (Lord knows that there's enough McDonald's employees in the world.) Just keep your head down and please, don't complain about a five page reading assignment 'totally wrecking your plans to go drink tonight'. The maliciousness that you inspire in the professor gets spit out on the rest of us.

And to that prof: Don't give up. There ARE responsible young adults in the world. We're just too busy working to whine to you about the length of the homework.

2 comments:

Kerri said...

I realize that I am no longer in college, but not so far removed that I have forgotten how you feel. It was/is quite irritating to hear the lazy people of this world complain about lack of funds/time when despite their lack of a job or significant hours at said job. But I guess that's the unfortunate truth about life. Good news though...your chosen major could lead to significant funding in the future :)

Professor P. said...

Ah--those professors probably know who the slackers are; it will show up in their work. The whiners are the ones who will drag their sorry selves into our offices the week before finals and ask if there's anything they can do to raise their grades. The profs aren't really taking out their ire on you. They are frustrated too. Cheer up--there are slackers in the working world, too.