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I remember in college, classes were hard and required a lot of hard work, memorization, studying, problem solving, etc. Especially math classes, science classes, and many others. I was an average student and always felt behind many of the brighter students.
Now I work and while it obviously requires me to think a lot, it’s not nearly as hard as college courses were. I work with people who I know made much better grades than me or went to better colleges, but I don’t feel they are any smarter or have a leg up on me like in college. I don’t struggle like I did in college. Mostly n cause I think experience trumps everything. If a smarter person learns something a little faster, it really doesn’t matter because my experience will get me there anyways. Or what we are learning doesn’t require you to be super smart. Anyone agree?
Depends on your job! My profession does require a lot of thinking, but not on a constant basis like college/grad school did. There are days when I do mostly routine tasks, and others where I'm really required to stretch my mental capacities... I like that about my work, as I'd get very bored with an intellectually easy and/or repetitive job.
College felt like a chore to me. I only went because I was going to get kicked out of the house if I didn't go. I could have gotten better grades if I wanted. I like learning, but I think the structure of school is what turns me off. I never found school or work particularly difficult. All things being equal, I'd rather work.
Depends on the job. I was a software developer and found college way easier. College is a controlled environment with set assignments and expectations. Work for me was much more hectic with constantly shifting workloads and expectations. Sometimes a veritable madhouse where clients, assignments, and after hours support suck the life out of you. Sometimes work is dumped on you because the office is deliberately understaffed and there is no one else that can do the work. As you intelligently prioritize and let management know the timeframe of the work that will be scheduled for completion, even if it were possible for a person to work 24 hours nonstop, they look at you as though you are insane and simply say "Get it all done, today." They say that because they have never worked in IT and only manage it. They have no clue what has to be done to complete these assignments nor do they want to know. They just set the deadlines, that's all.
So you scamper around and try to do the best you can to meet the impossible deadlines, but then you get the message that it's only many overtime hours that they really want to see. They want to see you working 20 hour days and then your deadlines can slide. But if you are only working 50 or 60 hours a week, then watch out! The termination lion may just gobble you up.
So yeah, college was way easier for me and a much more enjoyable experience since the work was scheduled in a civilized manner and there was ample time given to do the work.
College generally was based on merit. You had to work to get the grades. The work environment is by and large based on everything BUT merit now. Your have a higher chance of being grossly underemployed and enjoy gross market undervalue and in a position you're overqualified for then you do being in a position that warrants your education/experience etc.
College was more a mentally stimulating environment. Most corporate environments are just a drag and mentally unstimulating unless you're on the "company fast-track to success" but most of these positions are reserved for cronies/friends of the family of corporate hot shots
In college, you are learning new things in multiple subjects every semester for several years.
In a work environment you apply what you have already learned, but you probably don't need to apply everything you learned in a novel way every day.
In college I took a fair bit of calculus. I wasn't particularly good at it, and I found it rather difficult, barely passing. I haven't had to use calculus in over 20 years, and at this point if I had to integrate an equation I wouldn't even know where to start.
I do use other technical skills, but they are skills that I have used and perfected over decades. I don't even think about the details now, it is all second nature. However, I am using them at a much higher level than I ever would have done at college, and in a variety of novel situations.
The difference is really one of experience and breadth. I am more skilled, but it is easier for me.
Depends on the job. I was a software developer and found college way easier. College is a controlled environment with set assignments and expectations. Work for me was much more hectic with constantly shifting workloads and expectations. Sometimes a veritable madhouse where clients, assignments, and after hours support suck the life out of you. Sometimes work is dumped on you because the office is deliberately understaffed and there is no one else that can do the work. As you intelligently prioritize and let management know the timeframe of the work that will be scheduled for completion, even if it were possible for a person to work 24 hours nonstop, they look at you as though you are insane and simply say "Get it all done, today." They say that because they have never worked in IT and only manage it. They have no clue what has to be done to complete these assignments nor do they want to know. They just set the deadlines, that's all.
So you scamper around and try to do the best you can to meet the impossible deadlines, but then you get the message that it's only many overtime hours that they really want to see. They want to see you working 20 hour days and then your deadlines can slide. But if you are only working 50 or 60 hours a week, then watch out! The termination lion may just gobble you up.
So yeah, college was way easier for me and a much more enjoyable experience since the work was scheduled in a civilized manner and there was ample time given to do the work.
My post was about thInking, not hours or amount of work.
Yes. I figured that out fairly quickly once I began working. To me the biggest difference is so much of college was about memorization and feeding back what they wanted to hear. Even many of the math and science problems were contrived. In the real world you use every resource available -- text books, internet, coworkers, whatever reference you need. The emphasis is on getting it right, not spewing back trivia.
My post was about thInking, not hours or amount of work.
But that is my point, thinking is harder under pressure and from lack of sleep.
But let's fantasize that the hours are the same for both work and school. Then work in my case would still be harder and require more thinking than just school. The complexity of the work required in my job far exceeds that what is required in the classroom. Multiple competing deadlines even in a 40 hour week which require analysis, communicating with clients, writing specifications, coding, testing, migration to production and support for as many as 20 clients taxes the mind far more than just sitting in a classroom, controlled study with the material to study already prepared for you, and taking examinations that you have studied for in a static manner.
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I could have gotten better grades if I wanted. I like learning, but I think the structure of school is what turns me off. I never found school or work particularly difficult. All things being equal, I'd rather work.
