Quarterlife Solutions

Here is an article by David Barkdull that appeared in the University of Idaho Argonaut.

Life after graduation 

By David Barkdull
Argonaut Staff
April 01, 2005
Students must be prepared for the real world

With each passing day, the harsh reality of graduation and taking the next step draws nearer for University of Idaho seniors.

The reality of what’s to come after graduation, with no preparation, is also setting in, something that may contribute to drop out rates for younger college students.

According to the American College Testing Report, out of 2,654 colleges and universities surveyed nationwide, one out of every four students will dropout of school by their second year.

Dan Blanco, former director of Career Services, said the classic dropout is Bill Gates.

 “For every Bill Gates there are thousands who get a degree that others didn’t get a shot at,” Blanco said.

But dropping out can be unnecessary, said Blanco and author Jason Steinle.

Steinle, author of “Upload Experience: Quarterlife solutions for Teens and Twentysomethings,” said when he graduated he worried about life after school.

“When I graduated I had all these questions and I thought I was all alone, but began to find out my friends were in the same situations,” he said.

Steinle said that after four years of research he has come to realize that as quarterlifers – people in the early to mid-20s – know far more than they give themselves credit for.

“Our major hurdle is that we have not yet learned to trust ourselves or the process of making our way into the real world,” he said.

Anne Wimer, a senior marketing and Spanish major, said this is a time when students are trying to figure out what they want to do for the rest of their lives.

“It’s scary, that’s for sure,” Wimer said. “It’s also exciting.”

One issue recent college graduates are faced with is settling into a job.

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, 10.9 percent of 20-24-year-olds were unemployed in September 2003, as opposed to 6.7 percent in September 2000. The jobless rate for 25-34-year-olds rose to 6.3 percent from 3.7 percent during this same period.

Steinle said one of the reasons recent college graduates move from job to job is that they are not used to the lack of changes with which college students are faced, such as transitions from summer and winter break.

“Oftentimes the problem is not that the job is a poor fit. Instead it’s because, as quarterlifers, we’re so used to change every few months that we feel like something’s not right,” Steinle said. “People get really antsy.”

Steinle said students should find out about as many things as possible at college through clubs and organizations so they have a better sense of what they are interested in.

Blanco said sometimes people are faced with a fork in the road, and what they are working with on a day-to-day basis is not what their actual degree was intended for.

“It’s important to start early,” Blanco said. “Searching for a job should start as early as your freshman year.”

Blanco said there are three pillars students should rely on when making the journey through their college careers.

“Do as well as they can academically, because some majors are more (grade point average) sensitive than others, develop professionally relevant job experience, and develop what I like to call walking-around smarts,” Blanco said.

Blanco said “walking-around smarts” include communicating well orally and in writing, because sooner or later in life students must make use of persuasion techniques to make a case for their ideas.

Staying motivated might be another problem UI students deal with while making the journey through their college careers.

Steinle said what he found among successful people in the workforce is that they have systems to keep them going. He suggested creating a list of five motivational songs, five motivational movies and five people who “pump you up,” which will make things easier when times get tough.

“When you’re getting overwhelmed come graduation time, you can go to that list,” Steinle said. “It changes your state and allows you to get back to what you’re working on.”

After interviewing 300 quarterlifers, Steinle said, “We should take the experiences of these quarterlifers so we don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel. I wrote ‘Quarterlife Solutions’ because I want to share with you what others have generously shared with me.”

Like what you hear? Check out our blog www.quarterlifesolutions.com/blog for more podcasts.

You may also like our resources…including a more in depth interview with T. Jason Smith located at www.uploadexperience.com and www.quarterlifesolutions.com

Below is an article by Katherine Sather that was published in the Montana Kaimin at the University of Montana.

Friday, March 25, 2005

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

Here is a link to the an article by Kristen Davis in The Free Lance Star.

‘Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your …

or

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/032005/03112005/1688620

 The article is titled:

 ‘Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties’ offers insight to new generation of grads, reminds us we’re not alone

Thanks for stopping by!  For additional articles please visit www.quarterlifesolutions.com/blog