Youth talk

With summer around, and the lack of a school schedule to keep my day structured, I have been thinking a lot about routine, its importance and its drawbacks if any. 

For most of my life, school dictated how the bulk of my day was going to pan out. Mornings were for being in school, afternoons for relaxation and revision and evenings were usually spent in preparation for the next school day.

With university came a bit of freedom in choosing my schedule and therefore my days. I had the option of opting out of attending five-days-a-week although poor me had six days of school starting from the fifth grade, and yes, I will take every chance I get to mention that.

This transition makes me wonder what life post academia will look like. Perhaps a nine-to-five job will take up the space schooling and attending university did and does now. However,  suppose this isn’t so – maybe the career I have provides more flexibility in choosing my hours, allowing me to decide for myself what my days would look like; this to me sounds more intimidating than not.

You see, after having had my days sorted out by school or university for most of my existence really, I tend to feel a bit uneasy when the trajectory of my day is completely under my control. Take these days, for example. I can’t decide if I want to spend my time  recuperating after what was a slightly stressful semester or take the time to develop skills and work on secondary interests, such as fitness or practicing a foreign language. There isn’t enough time for everything. I need to make a careful decision about whether I want to pursue leisure or alternatively, a productive summer is in tow.

What about you reader? Are you in favour of kicking back come summer break or conversely, does the idea of the sunny season spent fruitfully excite you? When the holidays come around, are you glad to put routine on the back burner, or do you create another, more holiday-friendly one to live by?

Send your opinions to the editor.