Right now, you are either asleep or having fun.

It's 11:22 p.m.

On a Friday night.

We have a big meeting on Monday we're trying to get ready for. It's a pitch. And I want to win the business.

I'm in my office waiting for my partner to finish comping up an idea so we can talk about it.

Every year, Optimus, a local editing house has an awesome block party.

I've had to work during the Optimus block party for the past 4 years.

Today, made it five.

While my partner and I have been working, we've seen other co-workers come back to the office after hanging out at Lollapalooza.

While I get to have breakfast with them in the morning, I haven't been able to put my kids to bed once this week.

It's not like this all the time.

But sometimes it is.

So I have three rhetorical questions for you:

1. Is this really the career you want to have? (I'm not on a downer. I enjoy my job very much. In fact, I enjoy my job a great deal more than most of my friends enjoy theirs. But it is a question you need to ask yourself.)

2. What is it about advertising that will help you get through times like these?

3. If you're not putting in these kinds of hours now, as a student trying to put his or her book together, how can you possibly expect things to be different when you have a job?