Dear Boss, I have an appointment with life

By Tasha Naatz

It happens to all of us… a doctor’s appointment, dentist appointment – LIFE appointment! And recently having to go to the RMV (Registry of Motor Vehicles), I pondered and experienced first-hand the question of “How to balance a personal life during normal, 9-5 business hours… and oh, a job too?!”

As hard as we try, we just can’t take care of all of our personal appointments during weeknights and weekends, especially when most of the businesses we are dealing with close right at the same time we finish work! These so-called “errands” become chores that spill over into our workweeks… where we somehow now have to find and ask for the time from our bosses and busy schedules for “permission.”

So, the other day as I Iooked down at my RMV waiting-line ticket, that read, “56 people before you” -– I thought, 1) This is going to take hours until I get back to work, and 2) If I am already getting the time off to take care of one personal appointment, how am I going to convince my boss that I also have to go to my doctor next week?!

I came up with this, not-so-shabby list of suggestions: (Because let’s face it, I had plenty of time)

1. COMMUNICATE! Talk to your HR department, other colleagues and yes, even (and especially) your supervisor, about how to best go about taking some time off, before the day actually comes. This way everybody’s expectations are clear, and there are no surprises when you’re looking for the time off.

2. Do your best to take care of any and all personal appointments outside of work. I know, my whole premise has been that off-hour appointments are basically not possible. But attempting to do this will only ensure that your time to have to ask off from work will be limited.

3. If and when you do need some time off, whether it’s a few hours, an extended lunch-hour, or a whole day – prove to your boss that you’re not just looking to get off easy and try to make up those hours somewhere else. Or, depending on what you found out in suggestion #1… perhaps even use a “personal/vacation” day off, if needed.

4. RELAX! Most employers are definitely more open to letting their employees take some time off here and there to take care of personal appointments than we might think, after all, they usually need to do the same things. So, don’t fret – just don’t make it a habit. Life happens!

Lauren, a wise colleague, offered a few great thoughts on the subject, as well: “As long as you remember to be as organized as you can, really communicative to your teammates and boss, as well as reasonable - I think every person in the 9-5 work environment realizes how important it is to take the time needed for personal matters as they arise. Productivity and contentment in your personal life is absolutely related to, and carries over to your productivity and contentment at work.”

Let’s face it, if you’re counting on a paycheck, the work is never going to end… and unless you’re a superhero, most likely you’re going to eventually have to ask for some time off from work for a personal appointment or two. So, it’s just about finding a nice, harmonious work-life balance (or, a personal assistant). And as for me, I may have tackled the RMV this time… but now it’s on to City Hall!

Tasha Naatz is an Entrepreneurial Associate at Experience, trying to find her "true calling". She has defined herself as a true anglophile, for she studied and worked abroad in London, though she has also ventured to eight other countries! Tasha's goal for the summer? To have a “good” hair day after her daily, overheated/overcrowded “T” commutes.

Confessions of a grad student 3: Worth the price

(Part 3 in a series)

By Catlin Green

My acceptance to graduate school meant another year and a half of freedom. And it has been…sort of. I knew grad school would be different from college, but I didn’t know just how much of an adult I would be required to become.

One of the first things that came in the mail after my acceptance letter was my financial aid package. That was the moment I realized how much my year and a half of freedom was going to cost me. And that was just for tuition and student fees!

I knew Emerson didn’t provide graduate housing, as most schools don’t provide housing for graduate students, but I didn’t realize the headache that would follow trying to find a place to live. Boston is not cheap, and with six out of every 10 people being students, you can imagine how competitive the housing market is.

If you’re looking to find an apartment, roommates, or both, go onto your school’s websites. Especially if it’s located in a city, there will be a portion of the website devoted to roommate and vacant apartment listings.

My apartment was listed on the Emerson website and finding roommates wasn’t bad. Two of my best friends from college were moving to Boston, and we pulled in a fourth to help with the rent. But rent wasn’t the only monthly bill. Along with the apartment came utilities, groceries, cable, not to mention actually having to clean the apartment once a week.

As I sat trying to figure out just how much this endeavor was going to cost, I didn’t even realize what “living” in Boston would mean. With all the great restaurants, bars, and museums, Boston is a playground for young adults. But everything’s more expensive or costs something in the city, and I mean EVERYTHING! Without a car, I had to pay for an unlimited monthly subway pass. And how was I supposed to support this glamorous lifestyle I wanted? Loans? A full-time job? I didn’t want to be paying the government back until the day I died, but I also didn’t want to compromise my education by working 40+ hours a week. So I got an internship, and I got an internship that paid. Not only would it look good on my resume, but I had the flexibility to set my hours and get experience in a field I was interested in.

Going to graduate school in Boston isn’t so easy at times. School is school, simple as that. It’s just as demanding as undergrad was, but you’re surrounded by a diverse group of people which makes it challenging and worthwhile. The unexpected expenses, not having a car, and noise are just some of the frustrations that you learn to live with.

Sure, I could be going to school in-state for about half the price and living at home to save some cash, but I wouldn’t be getting the life experience that living in Boston is providing me. While it’s the kind of freedom I never expected to have a year ago, it’s the kind of freedom that has forced me to grow and learn in ways I never thought possible.