Working in a book store has its perks, like the 10% employee discount or the conversations you have with fans that are in the same fandoms as you. There is also the scent of new books or book signing events with your favourite authors. Working in a university book store however, has none of those perks. No employee discounts or young adult fiction. The only customers you see are too tired to even fangirl over vampires, dire wolves or angels. So why exactly would one choose to work in a place like this? Well, when you have no parents, every little bit of income is needed to survive four years of university. One perk to having no parents, well actually, the only ‘perk’, if you are mentally stable enough to call it that, is a full scholarship. Sure it doesn’t make up for you growing up without using the words mom and dad, but it does give you the chance to achieve something your parents would have been proud of.

Six months into this degree and I am already considering my life choices. Do I really want to do this for another three and a half years? It’s not so much a question of do I want to do it, it’s more the issue of am I going to be able to do this without wanting to jump off the roof of this book store? What was I thinking going into engineering? Clearly I should have attended those career days where they help you decide what best suits you. Although it would have been really hard to find a career that does not require changing out of your pajamas or talking to people. It’s not that I don’t like talking to people. I love talking; I could talk all day long as long as it’s with my friends. My Friday nights are spent watching Korean shows, playing board games or reading, while other university students are out partying.

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“Tris, would you mind working until ten pm” asked my manager Jihyo on the other end of the line, “Eunji just called in sick for her shift”. “Actually, I have plans tonight, is there no one else who can come in?” That sounded convincing, as if I wasn’t just headed back to the dorm to watch music videos with my roommates that we have already watched 500 times. “There’s no one else", Jihyo said. "I guess I just have to close early today, I really need to hire another person to work the weekend shifts.” Watching hot guys singing and dancing all night long or being a good employee who works two shifts on a Saturday. It really is not