The longest two weeks of my life

Man, where did that 2 weeks go? I've never slept so little or worked so hard on any single project in my entire life. Not even when I worked on a team of software engineers under a manager who had no idea what he was doing.

I know I've mentioned before that I've had the displeasure of working with people who aren't exactly committed to their education. And I've thrown up all over you guys about how they irritate me to no end, etc. So what's the problem? Remember how I said 4 of us had 2 weeks to design 1 restaurant? Yeah, here's the thing.

No one in their right mind would attempt to put something like that together in 2 weeks. Most people take months, if not years, to come up with a plan like we came up with. Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that the point of this was to combine students and stress them out and observe how they work as a team. There was simply too much work for one person to do in two weeks.

That's where the problem comes in. Of the four of us, only two of us really gave a damn about this project. We worked our asses off and slept, on average, 12 hours a week. The fact that it took an entire weekend to recover is simply amazing. I've  never felt so completely exhausted, both mentally and physically.

I'm proud of what my team came up with. As far as I'm concerned, however, my team consisted of two people. The other half didn't seem to understand what a team was. And, if they did, they didn't want to be a part of it. I really wish they had quit, or that we had simply given up on them. That's not the point of the class, though. If one failed, we all failed.

So what happened? Two of us did all the work. The other two will get a grade based on what the others did. Where were their sleepless nights? Why, when they would turn something over to us, did we have to do all their work over again because it was sloppy and non-standard? How can you work as a team when certain people flat out refuse? I'm still not sure.

The important thing here is that we finished. This food and beverage management course... this exhausting and mind-numbing two week period... has taught me more than I could ever have imagined. Maybe the point wasn't to rely on your team, but to learn to rely on yourself.

When I started this class, I had no desire to ever own a restaurant. I wanted to run a kitchen someday, but not the entire operation. Now? Well, now I KNOW that I can do it. What's more, I know that there will always be problems. Disagreements. Someone will think it's appropriate to put a turkey and catfish pot pie on a fine dining menu. I lost friends. I gained friends. More importantly, I gained a new perspective.

It makes me a little sad to know that some of my classmates will never succeed in this industry. They don't want to put in the work or the effort. Maybe that's a good thing in a way. It makes those of us who desire to be the best stand out. On the other hand, they will graduate and make my school look bad. I guess I have to understand that I can't control anyone else. All I can do is continue to give my personal best, which I'm discovering is a lot better than most of my classmates. That isn't to say that everyone is like that. There are people in school like me. People who love food. Who love to cook. Who can think for themselves and not need someone to hold their hands through the entire program and remind them what a good job they're doing.

In the end, I know that I've learned a lot more than just how to design a restaurant, or do market research, or schedule BOH operations or how your budget can drive your operation upward or into the ground. I've gained a new respect for the industry and those who succeed, because not many people realize what it takes to do so.

So, to those of you comfortable with mediocrity, enjoy it now. Your shit won't fly when you graduate. If you graduate. And should you end up traveling in the same circles as those of us who actually work, I'll remember you. You made me understand how much harder I could push myself. But you started digging a grave for your career before it even started.