How do you keep up??

[greenway]

Hi everybody,

I am a system administrator/web developer for a relatively small company in the south of Thailand and a huge IT enthousiast. But being employed in a job where at least 60 working hours are inevitable I often find it hard to find enough time to keep on expanding my IT knowledge. After a hard day's work, it takes a lot of discipline to keep on learning. I never made it past the first few years in college/university; the most I knowledge I have, I got from learning by myself and just doing stuff.

Now, I was wondering how others combine working in a IT function (or any other function for that matter) and also find enough time to keep up with everything new and expand your knowledge. Just say farewell to a decent social life? Are you being motived and supported by the management to develop yourself and your skills? Are you using the boss' time for doing so?

Thanks!

[Zelut]

I find enough time during the day (on the boss' dime) to try to keep up. Granted I know I'm still behind, but I do my best. With the rate things are expanding anymore I don't know how ANYONE completely keeps up.

Social life? I usually get back online once I'm home for another 2-3 hours to work on projects, research, code, etc. This is after a full day at college, followed by school. I guess it just depends on what you're passionate about--what YOU make time for.

[Mr. Electric Wizard]

Social Life?
I'm married with a 9 month old baby and live in a house that I own (constant repairs and stuff)...
I gave up on social life a long time ago!
Actually lately I have been completely obsessed with Linux, and such...
I guess tired doesn't matter if you've got obsession working on your side, right?

[basketcase]

I used to always keep up with the latest and greatest, with a new system every 8 months. After 3 upgrades, I came to the conclusion that it was pointless.

I since got out of the 'loop' and it's hard to get back in. Work 50+ hours doing IT stuff, I really don't feel like any more computer stuff with what little time I have at home.

Like was said before, on the company time, I will read reviews, news, etc. trying to see where things are going. Still don't have a lot of time to get to the exact details.

[greenway]

ocial life? I usually get back online once I'm home for another 2-3 hours to work on projects, research, code, etc. This is after a full day at college, followed by school. I guess it just depends on what you're passionate about--what YOU make time for.

I guess tired doesn't matter if you've got obsession working on your side, right?

Yeah, I don't mind giving up free time and spend that time working/learning. But people who aren't as passionate about something, just don't get that. When some of my colleages go out to dinner or whatever, I stay at home and read my copy of TCP/IP Illustrated Vol 1 (great book by the way), the next day they kinda treat me like I am social disfunctional (maybe I am ). The obsession to learn everything there is to know about something is something people around me just don't get...