Lessons Learned From Selling Pancakes
I’ll be honest- there have been plenty of early mornings these past couple of years when I was envious of my peers who didn’t have college jobs. I hate missing out on fun plans for work on the weekends, and it can be easy to wonder what you would be able to accomplish with all the free time that would come with not having a job.
Despite this, looking back I wouldn't change anything because serving during college taught me some priceless lessons.
Time management
It's not possible to procrastinate if you have no free time to do it later. Having shifts scheduled throughout my week actually made me a better student because I didn’t have empty time periods to push my schoolwork back to, so I was forced to plan ahead and follow the schedule I set for myself.
The people make the place
My coworkers at Carolina Coffee Shop have turned into friends and our staff parties are sweet memories I’ll remember from my years at UNC. Getting along with and valuing those you work with makes all the difference in whether work is a fun place or a place you dread.
How to deal with assholes
When I first started serving, I cried in the walk-in fridge more times than I'd like to admit. Over the years, I've learned to compartmentalize, realizing that if someone is THIS upset about hash browns, I shouldn’t take it personally. They might be going through something difficult, or they might just love taking their anger out on service workers. Either way, I try to respond with grace and not let the way others may treat me affect my day- especially once I clock out.
Someone else is always working harder
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and bad for yourself, but there is always someone working harder. Through seeing this I've learned to complain less, help more, and appreciate that I have less stressful bills to pay than many others. Feeling bad for yourself for too long can trap you in a negative bubble that prevents you from seeing everything amazing about your life.
A persons a person!
All servers have been stiffed on a tip before. It’s a really shitty feeling and often ends up making you feel like you and your work are not valued. I believe that being on this end of the table makes you more empathic when one day you’re on the other end. You can learn a lot about someone through how they treat service workers. No tip = red flag!
Oh, I forgot to mention that I also have the best college job, in my opinion. I serve at Carolina Coffee Shop, the oldest restaurant in North Carolina, somewhere where the people truly make the place. While I could go on about the benefits of working while in school, the true benefits that keep me happy at CCS are the free coffee and discounted food. Somehow, after eating here many times a week for the past year and a half, I haven’t gotten tired of our food. Check back this Wednesday to see my “CCS Secret Menu” blog, a little behind-the-scenes on what the servers at CCS order for themselves.
Cheers,
Katie Magnolia
