Big Kid Business: On Moving In, New Jobs, and Growing Up

By Aubrey Murtha – This past weekend I moved into my first apartment: Campus Town West. It’s university-owned housing but a real, grownup person apartment nonetheless. Though I am a Milwaukee native, I wanted to be on campus this summer for a number of reasons.

First, I got a new job that involves waking up bright and early Monday through Friday. I was not about to wake up an extra fifteen minutes early just to make the commute from my house in Wauwatosa. Sleep is a priceless commodity, right?

Second, I have heard from numerous students who are Milwaukee natives attending MU that living on campus during the summer is an experience far different from being at their Milwaukee homes. Summer is a great time to practice being an adult in the working world, as we students have minimal (if any) academic commitments. So why not take advantage of the chance to get accustomed to apartment life without the heavy burden of school on your shoulders?

Lastly, my parents wanted to get rid of me for the summer.

Ha! Just kidding, they miss me so much already I’m sure. Right, mom?

Anyway, I tend to struggle a wee bit with adapting easily to new situations, but I like to push myself into such situations whenever possible so as to ensure that I don’t get too comfortable in my daily routine. No, I am not off traveling the globe or pursuing risky entrepreneurial ventures. In fact, I’m right here in my hometown that I’ve grown to love and cherish throughout my many years here.

All this aside, I feel confident in saying that I am trying something new and exploring life outside of my traditional comfort zone — step one for conquering the ever-so-common fear of change that bothers many of us daily.

So, good luck to all of you that are trying something new this summer, especially all of you Marquette students. I wish you the best with your moves and jobs and all of the joys of growing up!