When hard work doesn't pay off

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

You know that feeling when you have worked so hard for something and then one day, you get the great reward of all that hard work?
Well, that is not the case with one of my subjects: Accounting.

I am busy with my post-grad diploma in management and accounting is one of my subjects... We wrote our second accounting test and I failed miserably. Just like my first test. This is after I have been studying it non-stop. We went camping and I studied, we had long weekends and I studied, during the week I had put time out every day to study accounting. AND I FAILED MISERABLY.

Usually hard work pays off, but not this time. I am truly not 'snapping' how accounting works. I am a communication brain, the creative kind and suddenly I have to think Maths and do sums and read between the lines of the scenarios and problems. No thanks!

My problem is that I HAVE TO PASS IT!!!! There will be no second chances or maybe next time. It has to be now!
I am in the process of organizing some help from people and I hope it will work and not cost to much, because this student is POOR!!!!

I am also disappointed because I sold some of my headbands, armbands and necklaces at a market yesterday and it didn't go well at all. I spend so much time on making these headbands and stuff and was bargaining on getting good money there, so I would have enough money for the month. This is another case of when my hard work didn't pay off. There were not enough people and a lady just a few tables from me, was selling some of the same things. So disappointing!

A headband I made.

I worked hard on both these things and my hard work didn't pay off.

Millennium Lady will not be sad, but only strive to do better next time! I will succeed with the biggest smile on my face! I will defeat accounting!

Every dog has its day.

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

You know how you watch people do things that are wrong and you can't really change that, but then all of sudden the wheel turns and they get their day like every dog gets his day?
Yeah, I call it karma.

This year, whilst studying the diploma in management, we had to form groups and create "businesses" and then do projects as if we are a company. But some of the group members have not contributed to the group from the beginning and it was a real struggle. Only a third of the time, they showed up for class, meaning the rest of the group had to do the classwork without them. Which is not fair, because they are reaping in the marks, without lifting a finger.

Also, at the place where I work, people are dishonest about the times that they are working. For instance they leave 20 minutes before the time, but log out the time that they were supposed to leave. Or the people are constantly late, making other assistants miss their classes and then usually they log in the time, they were supposed to be there.

Well, enough is enough! We kicked the lazy members out of our group. They now have to create their own company and do the remainder of the work by themselves. Unfortunately, they are getting the marks of previous projects, which they hadn't really contributed in. But, they will understand how much the rest of the group had to do, once they have to do the projects on their own.

On the work front, the people are gonna get their day. I have always been honest and always made plan not to be late for work, so can they. If you know that you are always late, then set your alarms earlier or plan your day better. But don't make it hard for other people working with you, you are selfish.

Employers won't be very nice, once they realize that you are always late and lazy. The real life is waiting and it will be hard, if you don't realize that soon enough.

Count your blessings, girl!

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Have you ever thought about how blessed you really are?

Yesterday and today, I was feeling down. It is a tough year on finances and academically. I don't have bursaries anymore, since I am post-grad. The bursaries only pay for your degree, except if a company decides to pay for your post-grad, if they want you to go and work there afterwards. Academically, I am struggling with Accounting, because I have never had it before, EVER! The other subjects are fine, just a lot of work. Some of the people in the group are also not pulling their weight, making the workload so much more. And it just seems that there is never enough time. Not enough time to get the work done. Not enough time to spend with friends and family. Realizing you haven't spoken to someone in months, because you are to busy.

I had to stop for minute and just count my blessings.
We were sitting in a class, talking about the future of the country. My beautiful country, which cannot be managed correctly. Students, including me, were feeling negative about the country and our futures in it. The lecturer preached to us that we should stop complaining, we are so lucky to be sitting in that class. We have money to study, we are healthy, we have a roof over our heads and we have food to eat.
That makes you part of the top 3% richest people in the world.
YES, WE ARE BLESSED!

After the class, when I was at work, we got the news that we will be getting our pay in March instead of April, which also lightened the weight even more.

Things are looking up! Stress is an evil thing, because in the end everything will work out like it should, but stress makes you believe the opposite!

"Everything will be alright in the end, and if it's not alright, then it's not the end." -The Exotic, Marigold Hotel

How to beat the student poorness....

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Everyone has been there... that time when you count the cents in your pocket. Or when you binge on Two Minute noodles or tuna. When you measure everything you buy and how much drinks you could have bought with it. When you are nice to people in clubs, so they would buy you drinks, because entrance just made you poor. Have you ever experienced this?

Yes, we have all had the student poorness syndrome.

I am a student, who is always keen for jobs or holiday jobs. I have worked at shoe shops, at lawyers, at daycare centers, you name it! I also work at university at the Reading Labs, where we help first year students to better their reading skills, so they can do better in their academics. But then, we came across the idea to buy t-shirt strips and make headbands, armbands and necklaces from it.

A braided headband

A double finger weave armband

A sailor's knot headband

We had a market day at the residence, where I did pretty well. But then I decided to go bigger. I am going to sell my things at Life Market. "The LIFE Market is a local market where fresh, interesting and out of the ordinary food can be found. In addition to the really good food, you can also find decor and clothing goods".

I decided to take a chance and try to get into the Life Market. They are a very prestige market with beautiful things every time. It is a bad place to go if you have money, because you want to buy every single thing. The e-mail came through that I am approved for the market. I am looking forward to sell it!

I hope this will help to cure the student poorness, which I am suffering from! But I also enjoy making these things, it is therapeutic and relaxing.

The things a student will do for money is amazing! You just have to get something that is worthwhile to do!

What have you done for student jobs, just to survive?

How to be an employee from hell

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Holiday jobs always have their ups and downs. This job was the best holiday job that I had, by far! But I had to train the new girl who is going to replace me and she is THE EMPLOYEE FROM HELL!

So this is how to be the employee from hell:

• Go for the job interview in tracksuit and slipper shoes.

• Be smarter than everyone in the office that has been working there for years.

• When the boss asks for coffee, say NO because you are busy with the work that he gave you.

• When your colleagues offer you lunch, say you are fasting for no apparent reason

• Smell like sweat.

• Smell like cigarettes.
• Climb on the hip of the person training you, who accidentally hates the smell of cigarettes.

• Wear jeans and slipper shoes the whole week, even though Friday is the only day that jeans are allowed.

• Say that you get the filing system and no help is needed anymore, stuff it up, just so you can get the person, who is training you, in trouble.

• Say no to colleagues when they ask you to watch out for their fax, because you are busy with the machine. 

"Like yeah, I'll quickly call the people who is sending the fax and tell them to hold it, so that Your Royal Highness can finish your job."

• Smoke a packet of cigarettes per day, but tell everyone how poor you are.

• Tell your colleagues that you and your sister have a good relationship and you sort out your problems by hitting one another.

• If a colleague asks you to do something, ALWAYS have a reply ready to reject their request.

• Do not. I repeat: DO NOT GREET ANYONE IN THE OFFICE.

• Tell people you are going to the loo. Come back smelling like smoke and glasses that went shady because you were outside. (Didn't know she found a longdrop?) 

"You know there is toilets on the inside of the building, right?'

'Yeah, but I prefer the longdrop that makes me smell like smoke."

This pretty much explains my experience when the training the new girl at the company. I won't be there to save her butt if she messes up anymore, so good luck in keeping that job! I'm sure people are thrilled with you being a:

*Memes made on Meme Generator Free. Available on Google Play.

Communication degree: COMPLETED!

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

On Thursday I wrote my last test for my communication degree, I wanted to scream with joy after the test, but I had to be considerate of the other people who were still writing. But on the inside I was screaming of joy!

I MADE IT THIS FAR!!!!!

Blood, sweat and tears were all part of my degree. So were all-nighters, calls to mom crying my eyes out, running like an Olympic champion to give projects in on time. and also going to write an exam for the second time, because I failed the first exam.

Yes, it wasn't always easy, but there were more good times than bad. I made amazing friends, who will be my bridesmaids. I have fallen in love and also fallen out of love. I have learned to replace my "what if's" with "Oh well's". I realized that it is fine to not know what the future holds and to simply tackle each day as it comes. I discovered myself.

My amazing group of friends

We had a lot of group projects this year and in previous years, we had people in our group who did nothing and we were stuck with all the work. This year we had the perfect group and they became my best friends (See photo above). We worked very hard, but also played hard. Without that combination I would've drowned.

Unfortunately, some of my friends are not going to study further and my last goodbye's have been said. But most of my friends will be staying on and doing their Honours or a diploma of some kind.
I will also be making new friends next year when I am doing my post-graduate diploma in management.

I look forward to the adventures and the unknown awaiting me next year. I am also gonna complete my bucket list for university. This song is my motto for next year:

But that is next year! Now, I am going to enjoy my 2 months vacation and spend some time with my amazing family and friends from home.