Palpable Disillusionment
When a college degree is not the golden ticket, young adults can't cope.
As Yale and Columbia have their hands full with students who hate America, there are those who recently graduated grappling with life in the real world.
Parents attempt to prepare their kids while transitioning from high school to college, but I believe the transition from college to career is more difficult. College insulates students on campus. They have schedules, for sure, but they also have a lot of “me time” to spend with friends, pursue hobbies, and party. Once degrees are conferred and the excitement of graduation fades, the real work begins. Teachers, parents, and colleges give false hope to new graduates about life after graduation.
How?
We say that piece of parchment will give young people freedom and financial independence. However, especially in this economy, the opposite is taking place.
For example, our daughter and I are in Arizona with my parents. We had a personable waiter who wanted to know where we were all from originally, and, of course, we asked about him. Originally from the Midwest, he got his marketing degree but earns more money waiting tables. Our daughter can relate. She, too, has a marketing degree but couldn’t find a job in her field. So, she is working a non-marketing job to remain self-sufficient while volunteering her marketing skills at her church. There are zero complaints about her need to budget for rent, utilities, gas, and groceries. Instead, what makes her discontent is working a job that doesn’t require a degree.
Meanwhile, her friends are a mixed bag of those getting jobs in their degreed fields, those working any job they can find, and those who still haven’t found jobs at all. Many working are doing so remotely adding to the lack of enthusiasm. The disillusionment is palpable, though you will not see any of them on TikTok complaining. Instead, they are questioning what all the degree hype was about.
On top of this, surprisingly, some of the young women feel pressure to find a guy and settle down. This is the complete opposite of the feminist ideal, but they feel the need to have their entire lives planned. It’s like a checklist. Great job, great guy, a move toward marriage, two children, a large house/condo, etc. In other words, they overthink; and, this overthinking adds to my fears that they won’t be prepared for the curveballs, with certainty, coming their way.
Our now adult children have been taught to follow rules and schedules, which is responsible. But they haven’t witnessed enough spontaneity. Straight-A kids have learned nothing but how to read books and take tests. It’s those average kids who broke an elbow doing some sort of Evel Knievel stunt who should be of interest to companies. For, they are the risk takers who have personality, understand defeat, and continue to pursue their goals undeterred.
Assuredly, you remember the freedom of riding your bike without a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads. The wind flew through your hair, and no adult was around to tell you to be careful as you popped wheelies. We need more kids with scrapes on their knees because they flew off the swings. Injuries aren’t planned, but odds are they will happen whether you flip on a trampoline or play baseball with friends in the backyard.
When we were young, we had to learn to survive the bullies and had to learn how to be creative to fight boredom. Experiences both good and bad molded our adult behaviors. As teens, we were professional even in the most mundane of jobs, but we were, also, able to have fun with our co-workers.
If you need a reminder of the good old days, go to any In-N-Out. Those young people crank out burgers and fries like machines while telling each other jokes or sharing anecdotes. I have yet to be in one In-N-Out where those working were anything less than a team.
Most of us sold the idea of a college degree as a way forward, but unless you are in the medical, legal, accounting, or computer field, the degree is nothing more than a high school diploma. Careers have become increasingly specialized. Moreover, we have done our kids a disservice by not preparing them for a life that will be filled with ups and downs. We marketed an ideal that doesn’t meet with reality, which has led to an increase in depression.
Our daughter, her friends, and other young adults need to realize that a life with purpose is a life well led. They are too young to be cynical when they are just getting started. Few launch into adulthood with their dream job or wind up with their dream companion before the age of 25. Nothing works out perfectly. Life takes unexpected detours and human beings make unwise decisions. Sadly, even Princess Kate is not living a happily ever after.
It would be too easy to blame social media and reality TV for the angst in our young adults. It’s our fault for overselling college as the golden ticket. Yet, it’s never too late for a correction.
They’ve only just begun.
I used to think that skateboarding kids were a danger to themselves but I’ve changed my mind about this. It’s these kind of kids that become the fighter pilots that we need in the armed forces.
You can add an Engineering degree to the list of career job paths. My company continues to offer a $5k finders reward for steering Engineers to it.
Your article brought back the feelings that I had when I graduated to the real world. Even though I had a job, I questioned “This is it?!?!”. A cold slap in the face after living in the education cocoon.