I have now worked at Eastern Washington University for two months. Over the past 60 days, many differences have become apparent between my new gig at EWU and previous higher ed jobs I have held. Duties, structure, and procedures are all examples of this contrast. But perhaps there is one glaring difference between working at EWU and my last stop at WSU…

I am now working entirely in the office vs. mostly remote. Returning to five days on-site has definitely been an adjustment, but not in an overall negative sense. But you want to know one thing that has not changed? My attire. Throughout four years of working primarily at home, I always dressed as if I was working at the office. My wife told me I was crazy but it helped me to take my job more seriously.

However, while my wardrobe didn’t change (except from replacing crimson with red), lots of other things did. Here are five adjustments I have made since returning to the office full time…

I am back in the office!

Packing A Lunch – When I worked from home, I would take a break around noon and stroll into the kitchen. I would pull out some leftovers from the previous evening or heat up some chicken nuggets and sit down to watch Netflix. Ha! Not anymore. I am back to making peanut butter sandwiches the night before. However, it all works out because I also prepare sack lunches for my kids, so I am able to knock out midday meals for the three of us all at once.

Meeting Time – Of course a major dynamic shift is that most of my meetings are now in-person. Speaking with people face-to-face is definitely more enriching than over Zoom but the biggest adjustment I have had to make is just taking care to be punctual. I became so used to Zoom calls and the convenience of hopping on the meeting right when it started (i.e. if a meeting was at 9 a.m. I would log on right at 9 a.m) that at first I didn’t provide myself extra time to walk to the meeting site once I started at EWU. I know it sounds weird but it is true. And even though most of my meetings take place in a conference room inside the building I work in, it still takes a couple minutes to leave my office and walk up the stairs.*Sigh* Remote work to in-person problems.

Commute – Perhaps the biggest adjustment of all has been driving to/from work each day. While employed at WSU, I worked from home four days per week and the only driving I did on those days was taking my kids to/from school. Over the past two months, I have driven to Cheney (and back) each day, about a 36-minute commute in average traffic. Having that daily time in my vehicle to just chill/think is nice but so was walking out of my at-home office into our living room at 5 p.m.

Co-Worker Interaction – When I worked remotely, I never felt a disconnect with my colleagues. Even through Zoom, we developed genuine relationships—both personal and professional. But now that I am back in the actual office, that same relationship development and the opportunity for social interaction is so much more enhanced. I don’t have to wait for a Zoom meeting to chat with someone…people are literally just a few feet outside my door. You greet people when filling up your water bottle, mingle with co-workers at lunch, and join the occasional gatherings that take place in the lobby area of our offices. Work is truly social again.

What My Job Is All About – When it all comes down to it, working in the office is so great because it has brought me back to campus full time. What’s so great about campus? Well, besides the beauty, squirrels, and dining options there is one other big thing…STUDENTS. Most of us who work in higher education do it for the students and when I was working primarily from home, I didn’t get to be around them much. Now, on a daily basis, I get to be inspired again by the enthusiasm, youth, and intelligence of the population that makes it possible for me to even have a job.

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I know it is a good thing that I have returned to the office. I always said that the WFH arrangement I had at WSU probably wouldn’t last forever. Making the switch on my own via a job change was better than having it one day taken away from me. However, soon enough, I will have the chance to work one day from home per week. I am looking forward to having that brief taste of working remotely. But you better believe I will still be dressing up in my EWU polo and khakis once those days start 😂. Don’t Blink.