quitting my job, my addiction

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by Stazy

Working while still young, if not financially necessary, is not that important. Too many people here draw parallels between not working and lacking character. I really don't think this is true. There are other things one can do to grow as a person.


sorry. In my opinion, that is simply not true.

look, character is a lot like shell cordovan boots - not everybody needs them, but I am happy that I have them, and I wish them upon my friends and family.

a hell of a lot of people get through life without any character, or with very little, or with poor character. life goes on.

 

[Brian SD]

This thread makes me feel so much better about being lazy/spoiled. Thanks for the positive reference point, guys!

 

[ghulkhan]

first of all i didnt askf or the car, maybe that just makes me more spoiled. I could care less if I have it or not.
All I am saying is maybe, I could do something more with my time. Right now Imjust workinga job and going to school. The jobs only to buy things I dont really need. This is the time to do something for your future and a desk job that takes up 30 hours of your week doesnt really seem to help it. Or does it? If it does can soemone explain how it helps you grow as a person or help you in the future or how its going to look good on my resume. I could spend my time enjoying my life and getting to know more people, stop spending so much money on cltohing which seems to control my life, maybe do a bit of research or soemthing that might help me in the future when applying for grad schools.

 

[VMan]

You need to man the **** up.

Your school is paying you $10 an hour tax-free (Which is very, very good for a part-time job. When I worked a University job two years ago, it was $6.50/hr) and you don't take it seriously? Wow. Develop a work ethic and don't complain about having to go to work. Don't quit your job because then you'll just turn into a lazy ************* (if it hasn't happened already). If you feel your job is too easy, then search for another one. I know that it sucks to work at a job where you sit behind a desk and swipe ID cards all day - I can't stand doing brainless work like that. Try and find something where you use your mind more, or maybe even something related to your degree.

Second, you need to find the reason you are buying these clothes. There must be some deep-seeded mental issue. Do you feel you need the clothes to feel adequate? Figure that out and take care of the problem.

 

[dusty]

Just get a job with fewer hours. Also, see a psychiatrist.

 

[Stazy]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

sorry. In my opinion, that is simply not true.
I take exception to the idea that because I don't work, I somehow lack character. I'll concede that this is the case for some individuals, but I don't think it is evident in my life, nor is necessarily in the OPs. Because I don't need to work, I've spent 9 of the last 12 months studying and travelling throughout Europe. Surely I've gained invalueable experience during my time abroad that cannot be had from a regular job. And just as a side note, students who participate in exchanges are much more likely to be accepted into their graduate program of choice.* When I am at home in Canada, I spend at least 1 day a week volunteering my time at a school instructing kids how to floorball. What's more, I play floorball on a semi professional level. This takes dedication and a strong work ethic. Both of these endeavors build character and looks brilliant on a resume, but I doubt I'd have time for either aspect if I had to work... I apologize veering this thread off topic (slightly), but I'm always annoyed when people assume that because some people don't work, they're a spoiled rich kid. *sorry, don't have a source readily available.

 

[ratboycom]

Originally Posted by Stazy

Okay, this thread has officially gotten under my skin.

I'm 19, in college, and am 100% supported by my parents. I don't need a job, so I have no plans of working until I graduate (except during the summer). As such, I can see where the OP is coming from.

If he feels like quiting his job will help control a personal vice, what is wrong with that? It sounds like he wants to free up some time to network and volunteer. Both of these are admiral undertakings that will benefit his future career more than a crummy job.

Working while still young, if not financially necessary, is not that important. Too many people here draw parallels between not working and lacking character. I really don't think this is true. There are other things one can do to grow as a person.

But quitting his job wont help control his personal vice. He said himself that he blows all the spending money his parents give him, for the quarter, on expensive clothes... within the first weeks! So what is the point of him quitting his job if he still will get money from his parents? I think his parents should cut him off for everything but the basic needs. Then he will be able to prioritize whether or not the clothes are worth the lack of friends.

 

[Brian SD]

A couple things:

1. Getting a free BMW, whether or not you asked for it, doesn't make you spoiled, it makes you lucky. Blowing all your cash that your parents give you for living expenses on clothing and then bitching about "your addiction" is what makes you spoiled.

Just quit your job so you can't buy clothing anymore. Go out and hang out with your friends and get used to drinking cheap beer. It's a lot of fun.

I think Vman said it most succintly. Man the **** up! I never thought I'd say something like that, being a character-less spoiled college kid myself, but seriously. Man the **** up.

 

[brimley]

Your job started at 20-25 hrs a week and turned into 6 hour shifts 5-6 nights a week. Quite a disparity. It sounds like you really work four night shifts a week, which isn't that bad. Do stuff at other times. Drop a shift per week if you need to. Find a new job on campus or off (off campus jobs will probably be a hell of a lot more restrictive on scheduling).

When I was an undergrad, I envied the people who had desk jobs as work study because not only did they get tons of chances to meet people, but they could finish up all their work and get paid for it (although it doesn't sound like you're swamped with schoolwork).

The job isn't making you spend uncontrollably. The job isn't preventing you from enjoying life or meeting people. The job isn't preventing you from getting into grad school (which it sounds like you'll really enjoy).

Get some help for the spending thing. See if GW has a compulsive shopping support group, or get a friend to hold you accountable. Go over credit card statements with your buddy and tell them why you needed everything you bought. Physically destroy credit cards if you need to and have your dad take you off of his as an authorized user. Set up a budget. Get off of style websites.

You're at a goddamn impasse, man. Get that sorted out before you get out of college.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Originally Posted by Stazy

And just as a side note, students who participate in exchanges are much more likely to be accepted into their graduate program of choice.*
Yeah, but these students are presumably more likely to be affluent, as often these exchange problems offer no financial aid. And even if students receive financial aid from their "home" university, the amount of aid is often capped at the level of tuition, etc., in the U.S., so if the overseas exchange is more expensive, either the student or his parents will have to make up the difference.

This is not even getting into the higher cost of living in Europe and many parts of Asia compared to most university towns in the U.S.

Affluent students are more likely to attend elite colleges and therefore are more likely to be accepted into the graduate program of their choice.

However, regardless of their economic status, students who conflate correlation with causation are less likely to be accepted to the graduate program of their choice.

 

[Bergdorf Goodwill]

Originally Posted by nyf

See if GW has a compulsive shopping support group, or get a friend to hold you accountable.

Alternately, your friend could perhaps sew your ****** shut for you.

 

[Stazy]

Originally Posted by Patrick Bateman

However, regardless of their economic status, students who conflate correlation with causation are less likely to be accepted to the graduate program of their choice.

hehe, I'm just passing on the information my university gave me

 

[LabelKing]

I don't feel buying lots of expensive clothes is a vice per se.

I had an ancestor who moved to Shanghai and lived off the money of his large land-holdings in the countryside. Everyday, he would wake up at 12 and then take some opium and then go to the bathhouses until snack-and-nap time. I never knew him so I can't attest to anything resembling "lack of character".

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by Bergdorf Goodwill

Alternately, your friend could perhaps sew your ****** shut for you.

Man, you really are douchey!

Anyway OP, in my non-professional opinion you simply do not realize that the job is not the problem, you are. If you want to, you have more than enough time to volunteer

hang out, and do whatever you want to do. You are in college, all you have is time. The clothing "addiction" is simply a manifestation of the indulgences you've been given throughout life. Nothing wrong with your parents being financially secure but you have obviously never had to "sacrifice" anything and think that you are underservedly missing out on getting drunk and laid with your friends. You don't even want to put any effort into that. Your "problem" has many solutions, none of which you are ready nor want to do. Sell the M3 and get a hyundai or something, you won't need to work and you'll have a lot of spending cash. Or alternately, keep the job, cut back on the purchases and make time to hang out, what are you taking 10 hours of class each day? Lastly, recognize that you are a spoiled brat and just make up some sob story to your parents each quarter and have them double or triple your allowance. It sounds like your parents are nice people and it also sounds like you can manipulate them pretty easily.

If all that fails, take Berg's advice.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by Stazy

I take exception to the idea that because I don't work, I somehow lack character. I'll concede that this is the case for some individuals, but I don't think it is evident in my life, nor is necessarily in the OPs.

Because I don't need to work, I've spent 9 of the last 12 months studying and travelling throughout Europe. Surely I've gained invalueable experience during my time abroad that cannot be had from a regular job. And just as a side note, students who participate in exchanges are much more likely to be accepted into their graduate program of choice.*

When I am at home in Canada, I spend at least 1 day a week volunteering my time at a school instructing kids how to floorball. What's more, I play floorball on a semi professional level. This takes dedication and a strong work ethic. Both of these endeavors build character and looks brilliant on a resume, but I doubt I'd have time for either aspect if I had to work...

I apologize veering this thread off topic (slightly), but I'm always annoyed when people assume that because some people don't work, they're a spoiled rich kid.

*sorry, don't have a source readily available.


1. sorry, don't assume that everybody has character, or is entittled to respect, just because they can keep up normal body temperature. character is something that is earned, and frankly, not that many people really have it. don't get pissed off at me if I am not willing to shift my world view to bolster the self esteem of a bunch of candy assed pussies.

2. so let me get this straight.... you take some money from your daddy, and buy a train ticket, and this gives you character because....... sorry, missed your point entirely.

3. the fact that traveling in europe might help your entry to graduate school doesn't give you character. sorry.

4. while volenteering teaching kids to play floorball may very well be impressive (in some alternative universe that I wish never to visit) and playing floorbal may very well also require discipline etc. come on, get real.

5. I hate to use my own example, because the purpose of this hadn't been to discuss me, but I will, because maybe if I do you will see why playing floorball doesn't make me drop to the floor and worship at the temple of stazy.

lets see, by the time I was your age I had lived in 3 countries, built a house with my father and brother, contributed to my own room and board for almost 6 years, lived as head of my own household for 3, run my own budget for 3 years, cooked most of my own food, done my own laundry (by hand) for 3 years, chosen to stay alone in a foreign country to finish high school, matriculated high school with a grade point average taht would have allowed me to be accepted to law school at the time, run a marathon, volenteered for several years to help out mentally handicapted violent teenagers, hitch hiked around for a summer with a friend, worked contruction for several summers, volenteered on an archeological dig, ran a team of 7 adults in the packaging department of a bakery, been selected for an elite combat unit, finished training, seen combat, trained a group of recruits, led men in combat, lost a man in combat, and had responisbility for forward positions in lebanon and territories.


so, I would suggest that the standards for what one expects from oneself by a certain point in life has erroded over the years.