Healing Senioritis — Quarterlife
Friday, March 25th, 2005Below is an article by Katherine Sather that was published in the Montana Kaimin at the University of Montana.
UM professionals offer ways to heal senioritis
Katherine Sather
Caps and gowns are for sale, and graduation announcements are in the mail.
The countdown to graduation and freedom is on.
So what’s this anxious, confused feeling?
According to some sources, it’s part of being a “quarterlifer.” The age group of 20-somethings and college seniors has recently become fodder for talk shows, self-help books and Web sites. One company even suggests you can have a “quarterlife crisis.” The idea is that 20-somethings are faced with decisions that will determine the rest of their lives.
“It gets overwhelming,” said Jason Steinle, quarterlifer and author of “Upload Experience: Quarterlife Solutions for Teens and Twenty-Somethings.” “We’re afraid if we start out with the wrong foot forward, we’ll start on the wrong path.”
Many places offer guidance. A Web site called www.quarterlifecrisis.com arranges support groups and message boards for 20-somethings, and a company called Cap and Compass, www.capandcompass.com, offers seminars and college graduation starter kits.
The Kaimin consulted Steinle for some tips on surviving the senior year. We also tapped into some campus administrators and students who shared their experiences. The number one piece of advice:
1. Relax.
Transitions in life will always produce anxiety, even if they’re positive transitions, said
2. Don’t lose focus on school.
Former ASUM President Jon Swan, who graduated in 2003, said the biggest obstacle he and his friends faced during senior year was procrastination. Since he had a job lined up after graduation, he found it hard to concentrate on schoolwork.
“Take a lot of caution about procrastinating for things,” he said. “If something’s due, make sure you have it done within enough time, so you’re not freaking out at the end.”
3. Channel your energy.
According to Jim Lemcke, assistant director of public safety, there’s an increase in campus pranks in May.
“I don’t know if that’s seniors or students in general just getting fired up to leave,” he said.
But extra energy can be channeled into something positive like exercise. Jen Anderson, assistant tennis coach at UM, says that her senior tennis players are feeling the stress of graduation. Many are waiting to hear if they were accepted to medical school.
“Practice and conditioning helps them relax and not focus on what’s going to happen,” she said.
4. Realize that you have tons of options.
Just because you have a degree in English literature doesn’t mean you need a career in it, said assistant director of Dining Services Ken Arledge, who was recommended to the Kaimin as wise counsel.
Arledge has counseled many of his student employees at Dining Services who were concerned because they couldn’t find a job in their field.
He recommends that graduates first decide where they would like to live, whether it’s
“A lot of people I interviewed said when they married in their 20s, they didn’t know who they were. As they began to discover who they were, they drifted apart from their partners,” he said.
6. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers.
Steinle said he’s discovered that as people age, they become more comfortable with the uncertainty of the future.
“They begin to realize, ‘I’m gonna be fine,’” he said.
Arledge said that students shouldn’t underestimate the value of a degree.
“When you get out, you have probably the most freedom of choice you’ll ever have in life,” he said.
A final word from Lemcke: “Words of wisdom you can spread all over the place like manure. Don’t take yourself or life too seriously and stash $100 in your pocket for emergencies.”
Thanks for stopping by! For additional articles please visit www.quarterlifesolutions.com/blog You may also like the resources and products available at www.quarterlifesolutions.com and www.uploadexperience.com
