Page 467 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

working at the store. I became so busy that I hardly had
time to see my friends and family, or even eat dinner at a

decent hour.

I finally left both jobs when I left my hometown to attend

a college a few hours away. At first I was relieved to

finally have time for myself. As my first year of college
went on, I found myself missing both jobs and missing

being busy. I had so much free time that I began to feel

incredibly bored and unproductive. It was then that I

realized that my experience working my first job had

given me a strong work ethic and a desire to be

productive in my free time. Through this experience, I
also learned how to better communicate with others and

how to have patience in difficult situations. From taking

care of children and from handling money and closing

the store at the end of the day, I gained more confidence

in myself. I never did find a job that semester, but I
channeled my work ethic into my schoolwork and was

accepted into the Honors College the next year.

Looking back at the experience and my attitude toward

working in a retail setting, I find myself only being able to
remember the times that I enjoyed during my shifts. In

reality, my first job was the right fit for me at the time. If I

had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change the job

itself, but I would change my reluctance to work there in

the first place. Although my first job was not ideal, I