The digital generation deals with the responsibility of perpetually advancing technology, yet they also reap the benefits of having the entire world at their fingertips. With iPhones, laptops, iPads, Kindles, Fitbits, digital cameras and more, college students across the world expect instant results and thus are expected to deliver instant results. As the college years go by, the stress of making the perfect connections to ensure a solid future begins to wear on students, for in a constantly connecting world, the pressure to find your place outside of the social networking-sphere can end up leaving students with a negative and unhealthy level of anxiety. How are we going to stand out in a world made up of usernames and accounts and how can we learn how to get back that “college dreamer” type of spirit that our parents seem to have had at our age? These are the paralyzing questions that have left, according to a study done by NBC News, nearly one in five college students feeling stressed or anxious about one thing or another at all times.
Is it irresponsible to see an endless journey of travels, experiences, and encounters ahead of us? Most will say no, of course not. Most of us will agree that swimming in the pool of opportunity is what this time in our lives is all about, but as our college years slip away so quickly and freely, swimming evolves into drowning all too fast. Many college students share this fear of drowning in the sea of opportunity at college, and one day we will wake up tortured by the “should have’s, would have’s and could have’s.” Our generation stresses about anything and everything from school to weekend plans and it can be paralyzing. Worrying about spring break plans, tests, networking, getting all the hours you need to graduate in four years even if you are an undecided major, summer internships and hundreds of other things is what so many students spend their time doing. The act of constant worrying can end up keeping us from doing anything at all. NBC shares that, “One in five say they have felt too stressed to do schoolwork or be with friends,” a frightening yet understandable statistic that reflects exactly why so many college students are facing the “quarter-life crisis”.
NBC News spoke with a college junior, Jeanette Devereaux-Weber, about her “quarter-life crisis” pressure to know what she is going to do after school. With a broken economy and jobs being harder than ever to find after college, Jeanette made a statement that rings true for most of us who are experiencing this “quarter-life crisis” and said, “It doesn’t feel like looking for a summer job anymore, it’s looking for a career, it’s things that will shape everything to come.” The world we live in is about networking, staying ahead and knowing what you want to do early enough in your college career in order to spend summers at internships that will be the base to a long term career.
How can we avoid the “should have’s, would have’s, and could haves?” It’s easy to ask, yet seemingly unanswerable. With that being said, I refuse to regret growing up, and I challenge other college students to start living consciously with this concept in mind. Living with the fear of regrets can be just as torturous as actually having the regrets later on, so letting go a little and just enjoying life as it comes is very important. My parents provide me with always needed encouragement, which I feel particularly grateful for, but the anxiety to make the right decisions, to get the right internships and to network with the right people still manages to eat away at me as my college years slowly but surely begin to pass me by. On the bright side, NBC’s survey also revealed that a reported six out of ten say they usually are hopeful and enjoy life. It even shows that half reported to feel understood by their families. With support from friends, family and the many resources on our own campus, we can all beat the “quarter-life crisis.” Granted, I can’t make any promises about the “mid-life crisis” just yet!
Anna Scott Lovejoy is a sophomore majoring in general business and biology. Her column runs biweekly.
