Surviving those last few weeks of work

[Hillary Emick]

I pretty much gave everyone a heads up about 6 months ago that I'd applied to graduate programs for this fall and would be leaving in the summer. I gave my official notice in March that I was leaving mid-June. They talked me into staying through the end of June. We'll be spending July on a cross country road trip and arriving in our new home around August 1 to give us a couple of weeks to get settled in before school starts.

I was feeling really burnt out on my job when I applied for grad school last fall. Having the end in sight has given me fresh energy. I am very busy wrapping up my projects and training my replacement. Time is flying by.

[OregonGal]

I am counting down the days! Don't get me wrong, I love my job, my coworkers and our clients, but I am very excited about moving and starting the next chapter of my life. I've started compiling lists of things I'll need to get and touristy things I should do before I head West; I've bought my plane ticket already; I've registered for fall classes; and I am anxiously awaiting the e-mail from university housing that hopefully I'll have a furnished on-campus apartment.

[OldGrad2012]

I think it depends on how well you like your job and how excited you are to get going on your PhD. If you start your program in July, will you be joining your thesis lab early or will you be doing an extra rotation? If you are starting in your thesis lab, I'd say there is no rush to get started. You'll be there for 5+ years, take a break now. If you will be doing a rotation, do you need to be doing an extra rotation? If there are quite a few labs you're interested in, then maybe the extra time will help. Personally, I have quite a few things I'd like to get done before moving for school, so I am going to enjoy the free time I have in the evenings right now before getting back into school mode after quite a few years out.

If I start my program in July, i will be doing an extra rotations and not get started in my thesis yet because I have not picked my lab yet. I think I will start in September and not do a rotation in the summer because I want to earn more money on my job as a research associate. I also want to be coauthor in paper submitted in the lab if I would stay longer until end of August? What do you guys think?

[kriskros]

I have been feeling this way as well. I am planning on quitting my day job in the middle of July and for the last month, things have been blowing up left and right. I can not wait until I'm done! Grad school is sounding like a breeze compared to what I've been dealing with at work lately. I'm planning to have about a month off of work for some vacations and time off before school starts. I really need some motivation to make it though the next 8 weeks.

[margarethale]

I absolutely cannot wait to quit my job. I work for a golf blog with a caveman mascot. I work for 40hrs/week writing about drivers, wedges, etc. in the voice of a caveman (ex: "This here club is perfect for yer golfin' needs"). kill me.

Oh yeah, and I'm about to go off and get my PhD in English Literature. I think this job is actually making me dumber. Hopefully, by the time I quit I'll still be intelligent enough to make it through my grad program.

[stell4]

Today is my last day!! It's finally here. My classroom is cleaned out, grading is finished, now I just have to hang out here until I can leave at last. I am so excited this career path has come to an end and I am going back to science. Good bye teaching, snotty kids, getting sick all time, and poor administration (and I guess all those good kids too ). I am not sad that I did this for a few years, but I am so glad to be done.

Next Monday I move to my new home and get to spend the summer fixing it up and getting back in into shape. One week of crazy packing and fixing up the home we're leaving.

[Hank Scorpio]

What a good thread indeed!

Firstly, I'm suuuuuper jealous of all you who get to quit before the end of the summer. I'm stuck at my job until the 3rd week in August. I work a call centre, and spend most of my days secretly hanging out on GC while banging my head off my desk. There was a bit of excitement when I got my acceptance emails, but since then it's back to the grind. I spend my days hating work and slinging Marxist rhetoric at my co-workers (I work for a huge, heartless corporation). Let's put it this way: I hate my job so much that right now I'm recovering from severe abdominal surgery, and I'm happier than when I'm fully healthy at work.

How much notice will I give? Well, they are counting most of my surgery recovery days as "personal days" instead of justified absence days. Sooo...I will probably will give them 2 weeks, but I wouldn't feel bad about just leaving at the end of a shift.

[geekman]

Most of your stories sound exactly like mine... I took my current job for a year while I waited to go back to grad school.

It's an office, 9-5, lame cubicle type job. Every day I consider quitting on the spot. When I got my acceptances I was a bit more upbeat, but now the days just drag on... I don't understand how people do this their whole lives. Leaving the end of June, which gives me about a month and a half before my program starts in mid-August.

It's comforting to hear that others are in the same situation.

[Cici Beanz]

I've decided to stay part time past my Aug. 1st move date...so Fridays through Mondays I will spend in my new home, while Tuesday through Thursday I make a little scratch...the enormous loans looming over me have shifted my focus from what's good for me NOW to what'll be good for me come repayment time...I'm thinking it'll be nice to have a kind of transition period, anyway.

[MyNamesNotRick]

August 15th for me.

The ONLY reason why I keep going (other than the paycheck) is that I like the people I work with.

But yes, I get the "I didn't come here to work" face from time to time since I got accepted.

[Cici Beanz]

I've got that face on right now!

[antecedent]

I've got that face on right now!

Tell me about it!

[Theasaurus]

Well, I did it. I had a meeting with my boss and put in my notice of resignation today. It felt just as good as I thought it would. In fact, it felt better than just good; it was one of the best ******* days I've had in a long time.

Can't wait until June 20th.

[MyNamesNotRick]

Well, I did it. I had a meeting with my boss and put in my notice of resignation today. It felt just as good as I thought it would. In fact, it felt better than just good; it was one of the best ******* days I've had in a long time.

Can't wait until June 20th.

Props!

I haven't even opened my Outlook today.

Don't care to.

[Jbarks]

I've been playing mah jong all day.

[TypeA]

Streaming the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

[antecedent]

Reading nerdy articles about the 'iptivism debate that has heated up again.

[Theasaurus]

Reading Buzzfeed. Not sure how many pics of animal photobombs I can look at all day but apparently it's quite a few.

You guys are awesome.

[Cici Beanz]

I just put some new posts up at my blog if you guys are interested. Shamelss plug, I know...but I figured if we're all bored and putzing around on the interwebs anyway...

[geekman]

I am leaving June 30 and still haven't told them yet... I've only been at my job for ten months or so and my boss always makes statements like 'What would we do without you?' I know I shouldn't feel bad, but I do. I guess I should just suck it up and let them know - better sooner than later.

[lydibird]

Yesterday I told my boss that my last day would be August 15th. I'm jealous of everyone that can quit in June! I have to stay and save $$$$$ for moving expenses.

The next 2.5 months are going to be torture!

[dapper]

My last day is June 13th. cannot. ****ing. wait.

[K.Ash]

I'm staying til mid July - gave department director notice earlier this week. Was not a good day for her, as my immediate supervisor also gave notice and is leaving for a new job soon (... we're a department of 3).

[hitomimay]

As a teacher, the last day of school is June 15th. I've been counting down days left from 100 days, and now we're at 14 days left. These last two weeks seem SO AWFULLY LONGGGGGG. I've been banging my head against my whiteboard ever since. =.='' I want to stop being the teacher and start being a student!!! ><''

[ahembree]

As a teacher, the last day of school is June 15th. I've been counting down days left from 100 days, and now we're at 14 days left. These last two weeks seem SO AWFULLY LONGGGGGG. I've been banging my head against my whiteboard ever since. =.='' I want to stop being the teacher and start being a student!!! ><''

Same here. Luckily, my last day is next Friday (my apologies). I'm working at a summer camp this summer though, so not much rest or reading time ahead. Bills bills bills.