How working differs to being a student”

In this latest blog post, I aim to give a useful insight into how the minds and attitudes of the demands of an increasignly busy working life differs to that of a student, in a foreign city like Madrid.

Being a major city in Europe, Madrid boasts plenty of tourist attraction, whether it be through art galleries like the Prado or the Thyssen Bornemisza or if you prefer a more leisuely approach, one can venture into 'El Retiro', a green oasis in the heart of the city which covers over 125 hectares and comprising over 15,000 trees. Additionally, the park boasts a beautiful river, with small river boats that you are able to rent. On a lovely sunny day, whatever the season, it is surely an investment that you can't miss out on if you happen to be in Madrid. I myself, albeit a working man from 9:30am to 7:30pm, have still managed to find time to utilize this wonderful asset, during my lunch break (siesta) or on the weekends.

Regarding my life as a working man, it is going well, although given that I am only a mere intern in a success - driven company, I do sometimes feel somewhat out of place. Having said that, I am learning more with every day that goes bye. Needless to say, I am an 20 year old English student working in Madrid for the first half of my year abroad, so the main reason for being here is to learn the language, by interacting with the locals and speaking as much as possible at work. However, that is not to say that I don't want to gain a good level of knowledge of the Spanish real estate industry. With that in mind, how do the minds of a young worker like myself, differ to that of a student in the same age bracket?

First and foremost, having been at Nottingham Trent University for the past two years, a student-led city, I am used to going out many times during the week, binge drinking and living and having a good time with my friends. Although I am still enjoying myself in Madrid, when I started I did feel a sense of missing out, especially given the fact that I knew I would never get to experience that with my core group of friends again, as they all graduate in Summer 2019, and I have an additional year on my metaphorical university contract after that. I am pleased to say that I am over that period and they now have a similar workload to me. On the contrary, it does feel incredibly rewarding getting up early, going to work, contributing to what could be a succesful operation (transaction) and then coming home, making dinner and enjoying my free time. Furthermore, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will stand me in good stead for life post education, and my chances of getting onto a graduate scheme or getting a normal job are set to only increase after a 4 month stint in a foreign company.

From what I hear from my university friends back in Nottingham, they tell me that 3rd year is not as fun as the previous two. Why? It's fairly evident that the workload has increased dramatcially, and not to mention the ongoing struggle of a dissertation. For those of you who don't know what a dissertation is, it is a document submitted in support of one's academic degree which presents the authors research and findings. The word count can range anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000 words typically, although different courses have different word counts for a reason unbeknownst to me. Despite an increased workload and an ever increasing mountain of debt to repay, they still manage to find time to go out once a week, and at the end of the day, they still live together, which makes me a bit more jealous as well as making me reminisce on the last two years spent together. That is another conrete example of how the minds differ, because despite all their struggles, they still go out.

One thing I have certainly not missed whilst working is the constant battle of homework, or better known to university students, research. The advantage of working such long hours is of course being able to go home at the end of the day, cook dinner and unwind, without having to juggle different pieces of information in my mind. I can look forward to that when I return to Nottingham in Autumn 2019, but for now, I will enjoy it while it lasts.

I will also be travelling to Nice in January 2019, to be a student at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, so some may say homework is only around the corner, but I am reliably informed that my semester there doesn't count for anything in terms of my degree, so my main aim is obviously to learn French. I am certainly not advising against doing homework or research, whatever you want to call it, but merely stating that I prefer to interact with the locals, thus enabling my French to improve by speaking more.

Anyway, I hope this has proved to be a useful insight as to the mind differentials of workers and students. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in contact with me, I am happy to help you with some tips if needed.