The shock of many young people who go from student life to that of an employee with a fixed schedule: “At my first job, I left the office crying”
The transition from the life of a student to that of an employee with an eight-hour schedule is felt by many young people as a shock, their testimonies show. They talk about the difficulties they face at the beginning of their careers, complaining about the hours spent at the office, the fatigue and the loss of free time.
Adapting to the new life after university is difficult for many Romanians. Photo: Magnific.com
For many young people, the transition from student status to full-time employee status, after graduating from the faculty, represents a real shock, according to recent research, as well as the testimonies of many Romanians.
“An important transition that many people go through is the transition from university education to the job market, which often involves starting their first career. This transition period is full of challenges, as new graduates face issues such as unemployment and financial pressure. The transition from university to work can also have a negative impact on new graduates' well-being and mental health.” shows a study recently published by the scientific publishing platform of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) group.
Negative and positive effects of early career
According to the authors of the study “Mental health of new and recent graduates during the transition from university to work”, more and more research shows that once they enter the job market, new graduates can be affected by anxiety, depression and stress, especially during the job search period after graduation.
Also, considering the well-established link between mental and physical health, some studies have shown that students who are preparing to enter the labor market also declared physical suffering during this period, possibly related to the concept of somatization (accentuation of physical symptoms due to stress), documented among university students, the research shows.
“However, it is important to note that the transition from university to work is also associated with positive mental health effects, such as increased life satisfaction, personal development and psychological well-being,” the authors of the study also show.
Fatigue, feeling lost in personal time and difficulties in maintaining a balance between work and private life are among the problems faced by young people entering the labor market shortly after graduation.
Rigid work schedules, coupled with high employer demands and little control over working time, affect the well-being of new hires, according to another study published under “Health and Work-Life Balance by Work Schedule Types”, on the ScienceDirect platform.
Chronic fatigue, on the new schedule
And the long time spent commuting to and from work adds to the negative impact on mental health and well-being, other studies conclude.
Invited to tell what it means for them to spend their mornings and afternoons at work, in a less flexible schedule, from 9 to 17, many young people who recently entered the labor market complained about the disadvantages they face. Some reported chronic fatigue associated with the new daily schedule, stress and resignation, but also how they managed to adapt.
“I finished college last year, and I can honestly say that the transition from student life, where I had freedom and time to myself, to the rhythm of a full-time job was extremely difficult. My day starts at 6:30 with household chores and getting ready for work. The drive to work takes about an hour, and the same on the way back. It may look like there is free time on the outside, but the reality is that I come home exhausted. When I say exhausted, I mean it that I can sleep for two hours continuously. The traffic, the hustle and bustle and the constant pace wear me down, especially when I come home from work.” advertises a young woman, on the Reddit platform, stating that she works every day between 9 and 17.
She adds that she can't accept the idea that this could be her long-term life, as time for social life has become very limited.
Lack of free time, complained by many young people
His message attracted a wave of reactions, and many young people reported that they had gone through similar situations. Some have found a solution in looking for a job closer to home or even one that can be done from home. But someone else claims that even the fact that he gets to work in just ten minutes didn't help him much.
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“I return home around 6 or so in the evening, I pull myself to do another te miri what, so, quickly, I eat and already at 8 in the evening I fall asleep and have no chance to do anything. The weekend comes, I realize that I have a lot of things to do, because during the week I didn't have the energy and mood. So I get to work: I wash, clean the house, buy all kinds of household things that eat up a day And on Sundays, if I managed to do what I had to do, I'm lazy to recover, because many of our generation, who started working recently, find that it's better not to go home and only go home at 9 p.m.he says.
Some Romanians believe that, with a work schedule of at least eight hours, only eight hours of sleep is not enough for recovery. Others, however, believe they have no choice when faced with the challenge of transitioning from student life to working life.
“That's adult life: either you work to make something of your own, so that in 10 years you'll be the boss and your schedule won't stress you anymore, although even when you have your own company you sometimes work more than when you're employed, or you get used to the thought that yes, this is life and you don't really have any way to change it”another Romanian thinks.
They want an easier schedule
Young people will have a harder time settling in at the beginning of their career anyway, someone else thinks.
“It's normal, because you come after some years in which you have total freedom and you suddenly start an eight-hour job, where sometimes you don't leave the office. And I, at my first job, left the office crying, because I didn't want this life. Then I found a balance. I also worked 10-18, now I'm 9-17. The 9-17 schedule seems much better to me, you have more time to do something in the afternoon”. claims a netizen.
Another young man wonders why the working hours are not reduced to four days a week, with another three days off, considering that this way he could regain his balance in life.
“Adult life doesn't mean eight hours of corporate work. That's what your beloved companies want you to believe. Many fall into this trap and effectively become zombies. If you call someone a job, it's better for them to realize that you're offending their plantation. This eight-hour thing will no longer be successful, because people are starting to realize some things. Many want to live, not just do meaningless tasks (tasks). Many will give up such a program and already I notice that this life begins, slowly, to be blamed”, another Romanian thinks.
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Someone else complains that since starting her career after graduation, she's gained eight pounds because she's given up on her fitness program and can't find the time to go to the gym after work.
Early career satisfactions
However, a Romanian claims that, being employed, he has more free time compared to his time at university.
“I work eight hours and that's it, I'm free after. In college I lost 6, 8, 12 hours in classes and labs, then give it and do a project of at least 30 pages, give it and teach it, give it and read specialized literature. I work two shifts and it's the best time of my life: I leave work at 2:00 pm and I have the whole day off.” says this one.
Someone else says that the work schedule is easier compared to when they were in college.
“With the working hours, the stress ends. The boss is happy to make money, I'm happy to make money and have time. But my job involves real work, not handouts”, he states.
The 9-17 job is not for everyone, adds another netizen.
“I don't know what other people are like, but I, when I got an eight-hour job, with my grandfather's salary, said that I caught God by the foot. In a few years, I got an apartment near work and now I ride a bicycle, I get there in 15 minutes. So I have time for everything. The schedule is 8-16. Gym, yoga, reading, cooking, lessons with the child, on weekends walks in the park. I am now satisfied, I have time”someone else concludes.
