Busywork

By: Rebekah Beachum

Throughout our school career, we eventually find that the homework we had to do in first grade was really preparing us for the "busywork" we had all through school and even today. Do you ever find you’re in a class in which your professor constantly gives you excessive work that may or may not be related to what you’re actually studying? I’m in a class like that now. Due to the nature of the course, it doesn’t seem as though homework would be of any benefit to me or my classmates: it’s an elective, off-major, exercise, “filler” class to give me an appropriate amount of credit hours for the semester. I enjoy the class, don’t get me wrong, but (as I found today when I missed turning in an assignment on time) discovering the history of the exercises we’re doing just doesn’t seem like a good use of my time.

Then I started to think more about it and I realized that what I may think is insignificant could actually prove helpful in the future. When I eventually find a job, my boss has the freedom to ask me to do almost anything. Having the right attitude toward the little things (filing papers, copying, scanning, filling out tedious paperwork…) can go a long way to impress your boss and co-workers AND you’ll help move things along that are often forgotten. It can even help you enjoy your workplace and appreciate the work that others are doing at the same time.