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I'd rather be

by vroom (His Eminence)
on Aug 27, 2000 at 08:12 UTC ( [id://29855]=poll: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??

Vote on this poll

Back in school
[bar] 53/21%
A Toys 'R Us kid
[bar] 67/26%
Done with school and working
[bar] 47/18%
Commenting on the lack of poll options
[bar] 90/35%
257 total votes
Replies are listed 'Best First'.
RE: I'd rather be
by ybiC (Prior) on Aug 27, 2000 at 08:34 UTC
    After equal years of both, I'd rather be done with work, and going to school.   {grin}
        so not-kidding,
        ybiC

    Clarification: What I meant to say was "having now spent as many years in the IS workforce (after graduating college) as I did in all combined formal schooling, my preference leans strongly toward school."   Guess I prefer pressure of study & tests to stress of corporate life.

      Yeah... working AND schooling is a terrible place to be... especially when you do both full time. I don't think there were enough options on that poll. (don't ask me why. the poll made me say it)
RE: I'd rather be
by FiReWaLL (Scribe) on Aug 27, 2000 at 17:12 UTC
    I'll never forget my childhood, no worries. Childhood, is the only time in your life that you don't have to worry about anything. You grow up, and each day, a new thing to worry about. I'd rather be a child again.

    -------
    []'s
    FiReWaLL
    The only thing you regret in life, is the risk you don't take.

      Is this really true for most people? I'm aware that I had a less than ideal childhood in many ways, but I remember there was always something stressful when I was a child - there's little doubt in my mind that there was a lot more stress and pressure in my life _before_ I got to college than any time that's come since.

      As an adult, I have some power and can actually deal with stress. I can choose to work extra hours to reduce work stress, or the opposite, and the consequences are largely my own doing. If someone is giving me trouble, I can tell them to go away or remove myself from their influence. If work gets too bad I can always quit, if I hate my neighbors I can move. Not that these things are trivial, but as a child, you don't even have options. Hate your teacher? Hate your parents? Tough. Don't like a class? Tough. I think people often glorify childhood and forget how little control you have over your life then.

      Which doesn't mean that I don't want to be an adult who spends time at Toys 'R' Us.

      -- Kirby

      Tuxtops: Laptops with Linux!

        Studies of stress and stress related illnesses consistently show that any situation is made much worse by a sense of powerlessness. Indeed despite everything you hear about how stressful management is, janitors suffer more stress-related illnesses.

        One amusing early study on this was involved two rats in two cages. Both were hooked up to a wire which would deliver shocks to both. One had a lever that would turn off the shock, the other had no recourse. Guess which one wound up a nervous wreck? IIRC, when random shocks were delivered, the situation got even worse. Apparently predictable misery (eg Monday) is less stressful than not knowing where and when your next blow is coming from. (An amusing side note. Random reinforcement also turns out to be very effective. Consider this the next time you see a gambler at the slot machines...)

        For what little it is worth, my adult life has been far more enjoyable than my childhood was. Strangely enough being an adult and getting paid for my life-long love of learning is far more enjoyable than getting bullied for the same. Being a 6'3" man is much nicer than being a scrawny kid.

        YMMV. Warranty void where prohibited. Etc.

        Sure, when you'r "big" :) you have more power to decide, but as my mother always said to me: "More power will come with more responsability". Of course it's nice to get a car, and Travel away without ask my parent's first IF I could go and being possible to get a NO as answer. BUT, somehow, you didn't need to worry to pay bills, to look for money, too care if there were enougth food in the house, etc. It's sure less stress (not less worries) I believe that generally speaking, you have the worries you can carry according to your "brain's size" :)

        -------
        []'s
        FiReWaLL
        The only thing you regret in life, is the risk you don't take.

RE: I'd rather be
by sinan (Sexton) on Aug 27, 2000 at 11:41 UTC
    I'd rather be having a lot of time to pursue my own interests while I am young.
    Sinan
RE: I'd rather be
by ivory (Pilgrim) on Aug 28, 2000 at 18:32 UTC
    Speaking as someone who both works and goes to school full-time I can honestly say that I would much rather be finished with school and just working. But then, one might wonder why I plan to go to grad school...

    Ivory

RE: I'd rather be
by pschoonveld (Pilgrim) on Aug 28, 2000 at 16:01 UTC
    I just graduated a few months back, and I can see both ways. In school I remember being broke and not in the mood to do homework. Instead, I have some money now and have to do clueless things for clients. College kicked ass, but it is time to move on to new challenges. Certainly lifestyle in college is much better.
RE: I'd rather be
by DrManhattan (Chaplain) on Aug 28, 2000 at 22:12 UTC

    I'm all about Toys R Us. Where were all those cool Nerf weapons and Super Soakers when I was a kid??

    -Matt

RE: I'd rather be
by Maclir (Curate) on Aug 29, 2000 at 03:27 UTC
    Hmmm. . . as a firm believer in the adage "youth is wasted on the young", and certainly one who wasted (or was wasted in?) his youth, I would prefer to be in school, but to have the knowledge, experience and MONEY that I now have from 20 plus years of working.

    . . . thinking . . . then I might have had the courage to ask one of the really cute girls out. . . No, these are not the sort of thoughts to be thinking when one is at work.

      Well, you just made a quote about kids, so i figured i would too.... "I wish i had the heart of a small child........I would keep it in a jar on my desk." Not sure where i stole that from but it sure makes me laugh....
RE: I'd rather be
by She-wolf (Sexton) on Aug 28, 2000 at 19:03 UTC
    I'd rather be back at school 'cause the connection speed is reeaal nice. Also, I have all my techie friends to run to. ;-)

    She-wolf
    "Wha? I don't get it."

RE: I'd rather be
by mt2k (Hermit) on Aug 30, 2000 at 01:36 UTC
    Well.... I went with "Commenting on the lack of poll options", which seems to be my most frequent vote lately...
    There does need to be a few more options.
    Even if I were to select "Back in school", that would come true tomorrow. :(

    Anyway, yeah, put at least 7 or 8 options for each poll!
    I don't want to be selecting "None of the above" for every poll. Talk about a way to quickly lose interest...

RE: I'd rather be
by d4vis (Chaplain) on Aug 31, 2000 at 20:08 UTC
    I think that 4 options is generally enough as long as those 4 offer a fairly wide range of opinion. The polls seem to generally follow the formula 'oneExtreme-onTheFence-otherExtreme' with a 4th 'punchline' option. That covers most of the bases.
    Of course....the comments sections is always available for those who prefer essay questions.
    -d4vis
    #!/usr/bin/fnord

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