I thought I posted this earlier, but it disappeared into the ether. I have worked at a couple different universities in the past decade, and they have been some of the most interesting and chill environments you could ask for. For most departments, the bottom line is supporting the organization in educating people, not money. It makes the pace of everything a bit more tolerable, and you won't be working just to push an unnecessary product into the world or directly contribute to the harm of others (m*l*t*ry c*ntr*ct*rs). There's also a good chance you'll have between Christmas and NYE off. There are caveats of course - many universities are suffering from low enrollment and budget cuts in the past few years, but it's worth getting a sense of places near you that might be reputable places to work.
Apr 4, 2024
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I worked full time for 2 years before i went to university, when at university i also had a student loan, which i'm paying back now. I saw numerous people who i went to university with drop out or become severely depressed due to financial struggle - DO NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLY, if you cannot afford it, figure it out before you commit to it.
As for where to go, look for places that are the best for your area of study AND for the quality of life in that area. I went to a university which was amazing for my field of study but beyond abysmal for everyday life. It made my 3 years very boring and tedious.
And finally, have fun. It's your first time living, take risks, try new things and talk to new people. It's all scary but then again, what isn't :)
Apr 13, 2025
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i donāt think dream jobs exist in the way weāre told because work is draining and is exploitative no matter what but i definitely have as close to a ādream jobā in terms of, most of my job duties are things i really want to and enjoy doing. on the other hand it is a Job and it is a very stressful job (and often iām stressed about my work when iām not even working!) and the workplace isnāt the healthiest, to say the least. i really enjoyed college and my degree program (sociology & gender studies) is totally one some people think is āimpracticalā even though i got great research and writing skills and issue-based knowledge
however the job market rn is AWFUL and i have a lot of friends who have been unable to work in their field or exact job of choice but it really is across most fields (including STEM, except for maybe medical). i know some people who are already onto their second job that is exactly what they went to school for even if their first job wasnāt. i think most people donāt have their ideal-type of job first thing in their career; i have colleagues who had different types of jobs before coming to where i work.
in terms of college i 1000% think itās worth it, if anything for getting to expand your knowledge of the world. but a lot of degrees teach you skills and things that are broadly applicable regardless of the field or at least for more fields than is in the title. unless you are wanting a career that requires highly specific skills (i.e. biochemistry, graphic design etc) i would worry less about what degree you get. this is especially true at liberal arts colleges where you get broader freedom in what you take, so you can explore interests and extra skills in electives i.e. taking python as an english major or a creative writing course as a computer science major. and TBH the world is falling apart so you may as well enjoy the 4 years youād spend in school and try to get a job thatād make you feel somewhat fulfilled
and if you arenāt working your dream job and have the freedom to do so, iād try to do something easier/chiller if you can so that you can relax more and pursue things you want to do in your free time. and of course all this is very privileged, i was lucky to get good scholarships to school and donāt have any dependents; my mom had a very different experience but she always does cool stuff outside of work and childcare.
6h ago
I may never earn above minimum wage but studying humanities is great
Mar 18, 2025
Top Recs from @theclack
The perfect lil snack for when you donāt want a big snack
Apr 3, 2024
Here it is, folks! Volume I of what could very well be a continuous project. Thank you so much to everyone that submitted - I smiled the entire time I was putting this together. It's best listened to with headphones āŗļø
Liner Notes:
This collection of field recordings is a collaborative effort with users of PI.FYI, each of which recorded their own pieces. It features audio from all over the world and exhibits eclectic moments from London Underground commutes to cuckoo bird calls in Dhaka to the sounds of a century-old American diner.
Online communities like PI.FYI often represent a diverse set of people, places, and experiences, but together, the submissions form a living collage that highlights the commonalities of modern life - a unifying message for such a tumultuous time. The first track features all of the sounds played at once in an attempt to create an audio snapshot of an online community but in their offline lives.
The individual recordings are unedited except for minor gain and compression adjustments for consistency across the collection.
Mar 29, 2025
