From the Editor’s Desk: Death to Unhealthy Work Expectations

I overwork myself. I’m passionate about what I do, and, like mostly everyone else, I love money. So my logic is if I have free time, why would I not make money? I’ve found a lot of my peers fall down this hole and eventually find themselves in a place I’ve repetitively found myself — burned out and physically and mentally sick.

Overworking can sometimes feel like the bare minimum. Last semester I worked over 40 hours a week, 15 of which were unpaid, all while being a full-time student. Any drop of free time I got was spent reporting for my own satisfaction.

I wanted to do it all and I enjoyed doing the actual work, but I had blocked up so much of my schedule, I was left to sacrifice my health and education. I couldn’t focus as well in class, I wasn’t cooking my own meals and I was getting an average of five hours of sleep every night. I became so exhausted, the enjoyment I got out of my work began to fade.

As the senior class begins to transition to a post-grad life, I want to remind everyone to take this opportunity to prioritize yourself. Avoid feeding into the sometimes toxic “grind” culture that compares personal worth to hours on the clock.

Employers, don’t take advantage of recent college graduates. We, just like all workers, deserve livable wages, a healthy work and life balance, as well as necessary benefits to stay healthy.

It’s time to end the narrative that we need to work ourselves to death in order to be able to live a normal life.