h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

But for how much longer? Having survived the ravages of an OU exam I am now feeling too old to be doing such things. But the joke is that we are all supposed to be actively pursuing 'personal development' if we are to be taken seriously in the workplace. This just adds to the stress of working anyway as most of us have to undertake this development outside of normal office hours i.e. our own free time. It is also less than personal as it actually usually relates to work. I am sure my boss would not appreciate it if I said my personal choice would be to do a short story writing course! So when do we get off this treadmill? When we retire? Who's life is it anyway?

I know exactly what you mean - I work as a programmer, and the industry is constantly moving around us, and we have to keep running to keep up. This also means doing lots of study in your "spare" time - Hah.
It's frowned upon if you're working on a high-pressured project and you're reading a manual.... even though you're supposed to spend a third of your time keeping up with new developments or you get left behind.
Add to that the fact that I'm in the TA, am working 200 miles away from home and am trying also to pass my grade 5 exam on clarinet (and would quite like to get an english degree under my belt) and you've got less time than you need to do things!! - Oh and I've got a boyfriend with whom I'm trying to move house.

I feel tired out just thinking about it.
They say that a copy of the Times on Sunday holds more information in it than our great grandparents would have read in half a lifetime.

Sod it, that's what I say. Life's too short - get out there and have some fun as well.......