NEET: Not in Education, Employment, or Training
Waking at past 11 in the morning is not for me.
This status used to be a dream for me. The last proper break I can recall having from school was when I was 12 and waiting for secondary school to start. The summer breaks of the ages 13, 14, and 16 were spent studying on the following year’s syllabus while the longer break I had at ages 15 and 17 were spent on work and pre-orientation camps and embassy visits for my exchange student experience respectively. Even during my exchange program, I was expected to maintain good grades in school and participate in extra-curricular activities. Upon returning, I had a week’s break before diving right back into “serious” school at A-Levels college.
Now, I am on my fifth month on break since graduating from A-Levels last year. And it. Is. Driving. Me. Crazy.
I Know, I’m Such A Nerd
Well, I suppose I can’t exactly say that considering I was working five days a week until March and a little in April before and after a week-long trip to crash on my friend’s couch in Melbourne, Australia. Which makes me an even bigger nerd, doesn’t it, considering I’ve only been on a proper lazy break for 11 days now (beginning May 1st)?
It was wonderful at first. I got to watch any movie I wanted at any time of day and I finally got around to the 15 books on my to-read list (6-7 down – if this doesn’t scream bookworm I don’t know what does). It was the most free I had been for a while. I stayed up later and later, and I woke up later and later.
I couldn’t stand it.
Waking up to see the bright afternoon light streaming through your windows is the most disheartening thing for me to wake up to. Half the day wasted, half the day that could have been spent doing something productive, like writing another five blog posts or reading fifty more pages of the book I’m currently halfway through.
I used to envy those who got the green light from their family to take some gaps off from education here and there, and then the very few I was aware of who hadn’t read a textbook since secondary school ended but that sentiment has completely changed even in this short period of time. I find myself losing more and more motivation for continuing my university studies (for the record, I have always known I wanted to go to university and am not doing it on the whim of simply having a degree to get the job), getting less and less thirsty for education. The thought of dragging my ass back into the pressure of assignments and examinations scares me even now, it’s no wonder some people don’t want to go back to school at all even when they started out intending to.
TLDR
Being a Lays potato crisp on my Fella couch is just not for me. September, come soon! (Or not so soon… coming up next)
twentysomething 