As of late I have been slowly creating a morning routine of sorts. I wake up every day at 8:30 a.m., make a simple breakfast, and turn on the television to watch the news. Resisting the urge to stay under my warm covers for an hour or two longer did take some adjusting on my part, but the results so far have proved to be splendid. I feel strangely confident that this newfound routine of mine won’t be temporary.
As I said, watching the news has now become a daily step in my morning routine. It’s paying off in a few ways too: not only do I start my day a little more informed about local and national events, but it has also given me some newfound inspiration for “So It Goes”.
One story that aired last week caught my eye, a piece on stay-at-home mothers. Liz Pardue-Schultz, a freelance writer and activist, wrote a glaringly blunt op-ed piece stating that being a stay-at-home mom for a living isn’t a job, rather a hobby that one chooses. I decided that I wanted to see more of what Schultz had to say about this topic, so I did some research and found her column on xojane.com. At first I was taken aback by her statements, I mean, I’m sure there are plenty of full-time mothers who would beg to disagree about being called “hobbyists”. And over 1,400 people took to the website to comment their disapproval or praise in what Schultz wrote. However, after reading her article, I came to understand that Schultz’s intention was not to demean mothers who take care of their children full-time, but to shed light on that fact that it’s more of a lifestyle than a career. Overall, I think it all boils down to words, meanings, thoughts, and feelings that we attach to them. [pullquote align=”center”]I thought about this subject and how it could relate to college students, and I actually found quite a few parallels.[/pullquote]
I thought about this subject and how it could relate to college students, and I actually found quite a few parallels. So when it comes to being a college student, whether full-time or part-time, I believe it is more of a choice than a job.
My main reason for this opinion is that for many of us, attending college is more of a preference than a literal “job.” That’s not to say that being a student and successfully doing all of the work that comes along with it isn’t hard work. Quite the opposite. The hope for a lot of us students is that once we graduate college (after years of studying and cramming and the occasional amount of partying) we will be well equipped to enter the workforce and contribute something positive to society. And although I’ve had just less than two years of personal experience with that so far, I can safely say that it’s no walk in the park. And we cannot forget that there are students who don’t enroll in college as a choice, but as a necessity. Our country has fallen on hard times financially speaking and in many ways it’s become obligatory to enter the “white collar” workforce with some sort of degree credentials. So, much like Schultz, I am reluctant to say that being a college student is a job. Perhaps others may see things differently, and that’s completely fine. Like I said, it all kind of comes down to something as simple (and often as overlooked) as word choice. So it goes.
I’ll be on the lookout for more morning news stories to strike up some inspiration in the coming weeks as the semester winds down. Till then, so it goes.
Rachel Alfiero is a second-year student majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at RA806657@wcupa.edu.