I'm dealing with a change in my working life

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That's the best title I can think of right now.

It's like this, you guys, I've a minor case of panic right now... Before the Christmas Weekend, I was working at a little bookbinding place, it was subsidized work. The pace over there was very calm, and because it catered to people who had been out of work for a while or had trouble finding work in general (often with a psychological issue at the basis of the problem), there was plenty of room to sit down and talk to the supervisors, who were professionals in this department. Lunch breaks and coffee breaks were often a bit longer than originally intended, and even when we were at work, there was a lot of conversation going on between us. I've had wonderful conversations with one of my colleagues about our common interests, all while we were repairing/binding books!
So, having worked there for two years, I got used to that pace. I worked 2 whole days (Mon/Thu) and two half days (Thur/Fri) and Wednesday was my day off, and a nice break in the middle of the week.

Now, through networking of all things (someone from Chinese class recommended me) I have a full time job, 40 hours a week. At a factory, making parts for conveyor belts. And this is only my second real job I ever had (cleaning was my first regular job, 2 years ago). For now, it doesn't seem difficult or taxing. It's not too boring, because the radio is on, and the process of putting together the pieces for the conveyor belts apeals to my sense of systemyzing things and arranging patterns.

But the pay is not spectacular. In fact, it's below minimum wage. I don't think that's illegal; production work doesn't get paid that much, period. But this may not be a problem for me. It's still money, and it's more money than I have ever earned in my life, and it'll pay my bread and bills.

What I worry more about is how my daily schedule/routine has changed, and especially how much spare time I used to have. I wake at 6, then I head for work at 7. I shower and shave, to clean myself up, and I'm not used to doing that so elaborately, so I'm still slow at it. When I get home it's 5:30 PM or 6:00. I go to sleep at eleven. So now I basically have 5 hours of free time. Every. Weekday.
There is a chance I may have to work overtime often in the future.

I don't mean to sound like a whiner with this post, and I have adjusted to changing schedules/routines/shifting work-time and free time before. But this just feels like it's a very drastic change, and I'm dealing with it right now. I'm dealing. My body and mind are figuring out how to react to this change. And maybe I'll have found the answer by tomorrow, or by tonight.

It's just that, I was getting tired of the patronising toward me that went on at the book-binding workplace. So I wanted a real job. And I have it now. I should be happy, I want to be self-sustaining... I used to say to myself, 'my grandfather and father used to work for their money, why can't I?' It's not like jobs get offered to me on a silver plate. Because I don't have much education or work experience, I have been turned down for most job applications I've sent. I can't look a gift horse in the mouth, especially since this job really was a gift from my classmate.

There's also the aspect of how, at 23, I hadn't expected I'd be working at a factory. Not to insult anyone who works/worked at factories in production, but I always thought that, by this age I'd be finishing my university. For reasons I don't much care to elaborate on now, that was not to be. But yes, there's an aspect of (misplaced?) pride here that I have to swallow.

But anyway, this is my rant for now. I'm not really looking for suggestions of alternative jobs, because I really want to give this job a chance. The main thing is that I really, really have to get used to the fact that 5 days in the week, I only have 5 hours to myself every day, and then there's the weekend. I need to figure out how to fit my hobbies and my studying for my exams in 2012 into this new situation.

I wonder, does anyone have similar experience with suddenly running into a nine-to-five that isn't particularly engaging? You're much appreciated.

What you are describing is the average American workweek. 5 hours a day to yourself sounds like an absolute luxury to me. I personally am lucky if I can find 30 minutes in any given day to myself. Give it a genuine shot - the money alone should be enough to lubricate your transition. If it doesn't work out, is your other job still available?

No. I can't go back there. It's more of a learning thing, especially set up for people who have been out of work for some time, and they get the opportunity to sort of get back into the rhythm of work, while still providing actual service to people. (There's the book repair section, there's also a bicycle repair shop, administration, etc. etc. )
But my time there is over, they have done all they can do for me. And I'll tell you, if it hadn't been for my time at that little book binding shop, I would NOT have been able to even work at the factory. I wouldn't have been confident in my abilities to work with my hands, or to interact with colleagues. So, yes, I also consider this new job an opportunity to build on all the skills I've acquired in the past 2 years, and not throw it all away.

But you're right, over here in the Netherlands (and maybe Europe in general, at least the countries that have social safety nets, like Sweden), we look at America with a bemused sense of admiration, concerning the dedication with which people just work and work and keep working over there. These days, here in the Neth, a nine-to-five is almost an exception rather than the rule. Lot of people work part time, sometimes two parti-time jobs, but 40 hours a week? Not many people here are willing to do that.

Yeah, we are killing ourselves over here for very little. My average week is closer to 60 hours. It's not something to admire really. I look at Europe and wish my child would have the same opportunities provided here.

Wow, MidlifeAspie, do you also have to work on Saturday, or are those 60 hours 'limited' to weekdays? I hope your job is at least a satisfying and enjoyable one.

Sometimes. I am a salaried executive so my job never really ends, but I love it so it's all good

By the way below minimum wage IS illegal, especially for factory work. The only job where you can pay below minimum wage is people who work doing food service where a tip is considered part of the customary practice, basically resturant workers.

I think the adjustment from part time to full time is difficult for anyone. I'll be doing that in about a month, but I don't have all the other factors you do. It is also difficult to adjust expectations, from what you thought your life would be to what it is. Basically, all the feelings you have sound normal and expected to me, given the situation.

I am glad you see the bright spots in it all, and believe things will work out long run. Just ... give yourself time to make all the mental adjustments. It will take time, and sometimes you just have to go through the process.

In the US it is.

Minimum wage laws probably kept him out of full time work to begin with, real minimum wage is $0/hr.

DW, my first week at work is over, and so far, I'd say it's going well. The work is easy to get the hang of -at least now, in the beginning- , and at least the lunch break and coffee breaks make it so the work day is cut into bitesize chunks to get through. Also, a lot of my colleagues are very friendly and willing to help me with anything, and an older lady has sort of taken me under her wing, talking to me and inviting me to her table in the lunch break. So that makes me feel a bit more comfortable, because it's never easy for me to be new somewhere and to interact with a lot of new people... but it's going fine so far.

The funniest thing is, this week didn't feel like a week, as much as it felt like one long day.

And concerning the salary, I may have miscounted. I'm likely paid according to the CAO (central work/labour agreement here in the Netherlands) of a production worker. If there's anything fishy, I think I can count on the social security service, which, after I stopped my subsidized work, is continuing to aid me via something they call 'after-care'. They just informed me yesterday. But I think it's all kosher.

So much of the panic has subsided by now.

Excellent. Glad to hear it

Glad to hear it. It will take quite a while to fully adjust, so be patient, but it sounds like a good start.