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| Garret Kasey ('19) |
This summer, I had the opportunity to work as an intern for
the Kentucky YMCA Youth Association. I greatly enjoyed my time with the
non-profit, and I look forward to volunteering with many of their programs
throughout the year. Although I learned countless lessons while on the job, I want to divulge the lessons I learned about routine, planning, and
responsibility in what many people call “the real world.”
Prior to this
internship, I had only worked on a relatively flexible and sporadic
schedule. The typical work hours of nine to five provided me with new
challenges and benefits. I hope the lessons I’ve learned will provide some
insight to any new college or high school students who have not been able to
work on a rigid schedule.
1.
Make sure
to get enough sleep: College students often complain about pulling
all-nighters and surviving on little sleep (I am one of them), but this
practice is not sustainable. With most class schedules, I often have time to take a nap here and there, or I have enough time to rest and relax
even if it is for a moment. In a nine to five work day, the only break is
typically for lunch. Often this break is spent working on tasks anyway. With
the more densely packed schedule, it is imperative to make sure you are
well-rested enough to make it through the entire day. You won’t have a chance
to take a nap and finish what you started in the morning. You’ll be responsible
for being productive throughout the day, and an important part of this
productivity is being alert and awake.
This lesson also carries over to my
daily life. Too often I find myself wasting away time throughout the day because
I do not have the energy to do meaningful work. This stems from lying awake at
night accomplishing nothing when I could be resting for the next day. Working
this summer has helped me to recognize this habit, and fight to negate it.
While I don’t recommend sleeping your life away, I don’t think it is beneficial
to trudge sleepily through the day’s happenings. Rest well, and much of life
will become easier.
2.
Set small
goals to accomplish/list tasks to finish: Coming home from a nine to five
job is nice, but it can be detrimental to the rest of your day. When work is
over and it is time to come home, I often find myself ready to rest, relax, and
do nothing. This attitude led to a very unproductive first few weeks at home
during my internship. I would return from work, and I would not accomplish anything
until the next morning. Eventually I knew that I could not continue the
practice of postponing all productivity until the next day. I began making
lists of tasks that I wished to complete and goals that I hoped to accomplish.
Putting pen to paper is one of my favorite self-motivation tools. Whether it is
a reminder to take out the trash, do laundry, or call my mother, crossing items
off of lists motivates me to be productive.
3.
Take time
for yourself: Working a nine to five, it feels like the day is always
flying by. It is important to be productive and accomplish meaningful work, but
time for yourself is also necessary. Working out and reading are the two
hobbies that center me during a long, busy day. I learned quickly that both of
these practices would serve me well during my internship. Hobbies that can be
done alone provide time to de-stress and gather your thoughts. By taking time
for yourself, you’ll be able to remain focused on other tasks throughout the
day and be less stressed. These activities will rejuvenate you and allow for a
better day.
I am grateful for the opportunity I
had to learn about the operations of a non-profit and about life. The
lessons I learned will help me tremendously in life, and I hope they will teach or remind you as well. I wish you all the best of luck implementing these
practices into your daily lives.
Garrett Kasey, of Elizabethtown, Ky., is a sophomore McConnell Scholar studying economics, political science, and Spanish.