Can someone explain why I went to college if this is my life

[AcidicSyn]

That last sentence was a twist and a half.

Fuck the system, sure - but what has an audience of country music fans ever done to you, personally?

Playing loud country music is a pretty serious offense and definitely warrants being shot at- just not with bullets like a deranged lunatic. Might I suggest a water balloon catapult instead? Then OP could both shoot people AND have fun.

[-Skye]

You need to find a purpose, i work a barista job and a sales job and I absolutely love both of my jobs. It's not the most glamorous thing, but I'm good at what I do and take pride in it. Find something you love doing and things will become lighter. I worked a job I hated for 6 years and consequently hated my life, sure I was on much more money but what's the point in that if you're spending 70% of your time doing something you hate.

[markos82]

You have 2 coffee breaks and you complain!

[Deleted]

As also x-posted on Quora:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-prog...z-1?srid=ugThS

What is a programmer's life like?

The never-ending circle.

Wake up at 6 am or 5:30
Drinking one glasses water
Brush teeth
Go to work
Breakfast
Working…
Coffee break! Walking break!
Working…
Launch 12 am
Working…
Coffee break! Walking break!
Working…
Go to home
Launch dinner
Coffee and walking!
Reading book (it must be!) or reading internet article
Shower and Brush teeth
Sleep 12 am or 1 am

and circle is continuous…

This is not my dreams

Find time to hit the Gym.
Also kiss your wife every morning and evening.

[Calfredd]

@Trollhammer, @Violent, @Traggoth Fantasizing about trashing your workplace is one thing that I can understand when you are unhappy about your work and doubly so if you are under a great deal of stress but fantasizing about mass-murdering psychopaths is not something I can really sympathize with. And to make matters worse Shinra1 of all people agrees with me.

[ShimmerSwirl]

As also x-posted on Quora:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-prog...z-1?srid=ugThS

What is a programmer's life like?

The never-ending circle.

Wake up at 6 am or 5:30
Drinking one glasses water
Brush teeth
Go to work
Breakfast
Working…
Coffee break! Walking break!
Working…
Launch 12 am
Working…
Coffee break! Walking break!
Working…
Go to home
Launch dinner
Coffee and walking!
Reading book (it must be!) or reading internet article
Shower and Brush teeth
Sleep 12 am or 1 am

and circle is continuous…

This is not my dreams

I know there are a lot of programmers that post on these forums. Is that what life is like for you? How do you cope?

You know I fantasize about people like the Las Vegas shooter, Ted Kaczynski or the hikkomokori, who can just say I don't want to part of the system. I don't want to be part of this system anymore.

So you wake up, go to work and then come home. What exactly were you expecting when you got a job?

[Deleted]

As also x-posted on Quora:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-prog...z-1?srid=ugThS

What is a programmer's life like?

The never-ending circle.

Wake up at 6 am or 5:30
Drinking one glasses water
Brush teeth
Go to work
Breakfast
Working…
Coffee break! Walking break!
Working…
Launch 12 am
Working…
Coffee break! Walking break!
Working…
Go to home
Launch dinner
Coffee and walking!
Reading book (it must be!) or reading internet article
Shower and Brush teeth
Sleep 12 am or 1 am

and circle is continuous…

This is not my dreams

I know there are a lot of programmers that post on these forums. Is that what life is like for you? How do you cope?

You know I fantasize about people like the Las Vegas shooter, Ted Kaczynski or the hikkomokori, who can just say I don't want to part of the system. I don't want to be part of this system anymore.

But hey, you could look at it with another perspective, if you didn't go to collage, maybe you would have the same schedule but at McDonalds or digging some ditch. Collage and education gives a larger degree of comfort and a a bigger variety of jobs to choose between (depending on the education)

[Xandrigity]

Yea that’s pretty much what adults do. Wanna really screw up your routine, throw in a few ankle biters.

[Hyral]

You fell for the higher education meme. The boomers got us good. Don't worry, we'll get them back.

[Deleted]

You mean just someone with a job he/she doesn't like 100%?

Yeah, not that special.

[Varvara Spiros Gelashvili]

Let me tell you - the college job is a lie. College was great, a whole bunch of people like me. Now it's like high school again. Being harassed all day by loud-mouthed managerial jerks who have no idea what they're talking about. They lie (over promise) to their clients then roll that shit downhill on us. Three years into this and I already want to retire.

Feth man, I look at the Starbucks operators. Getting to smell coffee and ice cream all day, chat up arty chicks. And I ask to me wtf was the point of my college degree when their life is 10x mine.

They make a lot less than me that's really the only stopping me from working there...

[Iamanerd]

I am also a programmer. You should try to find a job at a company like mine.

Wake up: 5:30am (my own choice)
Morning routine until 6:30
Arrive at work at 6:45.
Emails, meetings, calls, review, coding, etc, until around 11
Lunch 11:30-12:30
Code until about 3pm
Arrive at gym around 3:15
Gym until 4:30
Go home, dinner, gaming, reading, writing [Insert Hobby Here] until 9.
Wind down until around 9:30
Sleep

Fridays are half days (except for the 3 weeks before the semi-annual release), so at 11:30 I go home.

Office is closed from (roughly) Dec. 23 to January 3rd.

25 days PTO/year baseline, going up 1.5 days annually until capping at 40 (10 years).
Minimum 3% raise and 10% bonus, annually. (I got 8%/15% first year and 10%/20% second year).

Catered lunches every day.

------

Sounds like your company is running you into the ground, or you're not capable to handle the work in a timely fashion. Or they require crazy hours. If it's the former, I recommend searching for a new job. If it's the latter, I recommend shoring up your weaknesses, and maybe taking a different approach to programming. I personally went through https://teachyourselfcs.com/ over the first 1.5 years of my career, and it helped immensely. Also websites like pluralsight will help train you in necessary skills, and some coding challenge websites can help you think on your toes, and make you much quicker at determining edge cases, use cases, testing, and developing elegant, fast solutions.

My final tip, which is quite long term, is to save as much as you possibly can. I, personally, save & invest 80% of my income. 12% goes to housing, 4% to food, and the rest to entertainment/hobbies/etc. Ignoring inflation (which basic investing will do for you), every year I work I can live for 4 years. I knock this down to 2.5, simply because of incidental expenses, new car, etc. So if I work until I'm 50 (28 years), I should be able to afford, with no supplemental income, to live comfortably for 70 more years. I doubt I'll live that long, so I plan on a nice, early retirement between 40-50, probably going into light teaching or writing to supplement my income at that point. If you hate the slog, like I do, this is the best I've come up with to get out ASAP. I've known (as in read about) people who've retired as early as 30, living extraordinarily cheaply in some corner of the world, growing and hunting their food when they can.

I work in IT myself (at an MSP), I'm with you on trying to retire early! Granted I can't save 80% of my income, I'm able to save about 40% of it but a big part of that is due to taking care of my parents for now. Honestly though I try to enjoy work and enjoy my time off, shit happens and I might be working till I drop or till I'm 50 and I plan on enjoying my time either way.

[cubby]

As also x-posted on Quora:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-prog...z-1?srid=ugThS

What is a programmer's life like?

The never-ending circle.

Wake up at 6 am or 5:30
Drinking one glasses water
Brush teeth
Go to work
Breakfast
Working…
Coffee break! Walking break!
Working…
Launch 12 am
Working…
Coffee break! Walking break!
Working…
Go to home
Launch dinner
Coffee and walking!
Reading book (it must be!) or reading internet article
Shower and Brush teeth
Sleep 12 am or 1 am

and circle is continuous…

This is not my dreams

I know there are a lot of programmers that post on these forums. Is that what life is like for you? How do you cope?

You know I fantasize about people like the Las Vegas shooter, Ted Kaczynski or the hikkomokori, who can just say I don't want to part of the system. I don't want to be part of this system anymore.

Then do something else. You're a programmer - there are literally millions of jobs all over the world for you. Your reference to recent mass murderers is entirely disturbing.

[Cæli]

as a programmer you got it easy to find your way toward being financially free.

[Traggoth]

@Trollhammer, @Violent, @Traggoth Fantasizing about trashing your workplace is one thing that I can understand when you are unhappy about your work and doubly so if you are under a great deal of stress but fantasizing about mass-murdering psychopaths is not something I can really sympathize with. And to make matters worse Shinra1 of all people agrees with me.

It's a secret thought. That's why he's posting behind a veil of anonymity. I don't believe he's planting a flag and screaming those words in jubilation. He's looking for help. He shared something very private to us, and I think it's important to understand that.

[Super Kami Dende]

You know I fantasize about people like the Las Vegas shooter, Ted Kaczynski or the hikkomokori, who can just say I don't want to part of the system. I don't want to be part of this system anymore.

If you are fantasizing about Mass Murdering whackjobs, you may need to seek actual psychological help.

[Yvaelle]

If you are creative, you will never live your dreams, because your dreams are unattainable. Some people talk about living their dreams in a motivational sense, but when it really comes down to it, what they mean is "dream smaller dreams": this works, but in my opinion, toiling through a life in which dreams are beyond reality and unattainable is still better than dreaming of owning a modest property and having an alright relationship (what most small dreams come down to).

Life consists of unattainable dreams, shattered hope, and struggle. However, it doesn't need to include suffering. To paraphrase Buddha, 'All suffering is merely the difference between out expectations of reality, and our reality' - don't dream small dreams, but don't expect your life to be without toil.

With that said, try to find something worth struggling for - your own company, or a company worth believing in. Try to make the world a better place. We cannot remove struggle from our lives, but we can remove suffering.

[Deleted]

You, and ONLY you, are responsible for this life you are living right now.

If you don't like it, change it... You are not a tree.

[Zervek]

Yup, this is the real 'adult' world. Dying is a great alternative.

[Deleted]

Because that's life. Yeah it sucks, but count yourself lucky - you could be starving to death in a warzone, but hey.. least you wouldn't need to get up for work.