Some Lessons From The Assembly Line Analysis

As some college students spend their summers working part-time jobs and spending time with friends, this is not the case for Andrew Braaksma. He spends his summer breaks on an assembly line at a factory. Braaksma has been working in the factory since he got out of high school and he has learned some valuable lessons about life. In “Some Lessons from the Assembly Line” Braaksma comes to the realization that his choice to continue education and go onto college allows him better opportunity and experience to thrive beyond the low paying job of a factory worker with a high school education, at best.
Braaksma depicts the difficulties of working of on an assembly line. Starting the day at 6 am and working 12-hour shift this would be something he would have to get used to considering he did not taking any classes before noon. While working the assembly line all of those hours are spent stamping, cutting, welding, moving, or assembling parts” (Braaksma, 2005). In addition, standing on those concrete floors all day takes its toll on the body. Thankfully this is only temporary for him, but for his co-workers this is their way of life.
Braaksma has gained insight on what it would be like to work full-time in the factory. He quickly realizes issues such as “downsizing and overseas relocation,” which did not seem real to me until “one of my co-workers at
The thought of working long hot days on the assembly makes him appreciate the being on the beautiful college campus. As he reflects on the past year of school he realizes the days of skipping class or turning in a less than stellar paper seem like a “cop out” considering the alternative (Braaksma, 2005). He is able to take a step back and look at both sides what is and what could have been. He has learned some life lessons on the assembly line and developed relationships with his co-workers who have taught him some valuable