The Quarter Life
Has the whole world gone mad? I wonder this as I observe people around me. The choices they make. Why do they want to do the things they want to do? What has ignited their dream? My generation is living in The Quarter Life (TQL). What does that even mean? We have followed the traditional path up to this point in our life. But we are not traditional. Our dreams don’t revolve around the words settling down. A white picket fence is not in our future. Has it worked out up to this point, for the most part. High school, college, grad school; what’s next? This is where TQL, Gen Y, whatever you want to call it is struggling.
I thought I was alone in this for the longest time. But I’m not even close. Hundreds, thousands of 20 some things are feeling this same way. Guided by the pressure of what they believe is normal, what society sets as normal. The normal is no longer the normal! TQL doesn’t involve getting married at 20, having kids, working the same job for the next 30 years. Why? Because people get divorced more now than ever, the jobs that once were security crutches are no longer so secure, having children is not the end all be all of life.
TQL dream of freedom, travel, meaningful careers, real love, education. These aren’t really anything new. My grandma probably dreamed of these exact same things. I think TQL is the first to really stand up for it though in a long time. Look at the movement of the 60’s. Yeah it involved a lot of drugs, sex, and everything else you can claim as debauchery. But this generation is different. We don’t want to make those same mistakes, we want to “Save the Earth” but not for the same reasons. We want more efficient cars because we are cheap. We want to spend our money on things that give us value.
The Quarter Life Crisis, 25 years old (give or take a few both ways) are now the crossroads of life for most people. College is over. You have either gone to grad school because you still aren’t sure what you want to do with your life, you have found that entry level job that doesn’t pay enough for you to make it on your own, or you have been working for a few years and are now tired of the mediocre life.
26 year old deputy sheriff takes an $8/hr pay cut to go back to school to pursue his dream career of Physical Therapy.
23 year old local college grad working in the college coffee shop because she hasn’t found a job in her field.
25 year old MBA graduate who is unsure of what he wants to do, applies everyday for jobs he has no experience doing. Because it’s what his degree is in.
24 year old college grad in social work, working at Buffalo Wild Wings.
Are you following the pattern? TQL gen’s are not following the norm. Some have gotten degrees and have no intentions are using it. Some have the degree but are unsure of what they do. Those people become stale. This is where I want to stop pitying myself and my generation. So what! So what that you haven’t chosen the perfect path for your life. You haven’t created any substance yet, therefore you haven’t created any part of your life. Can this explain it any better?
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
George Bernard Shaw
Everyone has a vision of what they believe their perfect life is. Some might disagree, but it’s true. Some people’s visions are just so out of reach of what their current life is that they discard that dream and settle. Gen Y are not settlers! We are dreamers and we are proud of that. Our only downfall so far is that, well, we are just dreamers. We are not a generation of doers. This is where our generation needs to step up its game. If we aren’t going to settle for the mediocre life, then we can’t just preach it, we have to live it. Start down a path, any path. If we don’t like that life we are not going to settle. We quit. We switch to something new. This is the way we are going to set ourselves apart from all other generations is if we start doing something.
Throw out the college degree and focus on learning skills, trades, something that you can become an expert at. Why am I saying throw out that degree? Maybe THIS will explain it to you. 20 years ago people who went to college were part of an elite class. What does that mean? That means that not everyone graduated college. Therefore, when you did graduate you were more valuable than students are now. This is why an 18 year old working an apprenticeship at a construction company is making $14.50/hr when his 7 year old brother who has an MBA is making a few dollars less an hour. It’s because he is going to learn what is considered a real skill now. After his 4 year apprenticeship he will make roughly $25/hr. Most recent college grads would kill for a job making that much money. This is why welders are making $50/ hr. It’s a skill, not something everyone can do. This is not something your admissions counselor is going to tell you.
So what can we do to change this? It’s a slow process that takes much more hard work than any of us really want to put in. We will have to have a full time job. Then on the days off work part time in the field we really want to be in. This builds our experience level to a point that companies that have good jobs available will give us a look. We now have experience, something every college is going to see as a requirement from now until eternity. I think anyone who reads this knows what I’m talking about. How can you get experience when no one will give you experience? I haven’t exactly figured this out, but persistence and not accepting failure are really the only options you have.
Another path? The military is completely different from when your grandpa or even when your dad was in. With a college degree you can potentially go in straight as an officer ($48,000 a year). They will pay off a lot of that debt you have racked up over the past 5 years (It’s OK, most don’t graduate in 4 years anymore). What do you get out of this? A sense of belonging to something important. Something our generation craves more than anything. I’m sure you will learn leadership, not to mention with so many jobs now that you will get experience in the field you want, even if it has nothing to do with your degree!
Or you could continue down your mediocre life, living paycheck to paycheck, dreaming instead of doing. It’s your choice.
Fight Club Scene-Raymond K Hessel
Hands behind your back.
Give me your wallet.
Raymond K Hessel.
SE Banning, Apartment A.
- Small, cramped basement apartment?
- How did you know?
They give shitty apartments letters.
Raymond! You're going to die.
No!
Is that your mom and dad?
They're gonna have to call the kindly doctor.
Pick up your dental records. Know why?
- There'll be nothing left of your face.
- Oh, come on!
An expired community college student ID.
What did you study, Raymond?
- S... S... Stuff.
- Stuff?
Were the midterms hard?
- I asked you what you studied!
- Biology, mostly.
- Why?
- I don't know.
What did you wanna be, Raymond K Hessel?!
The question, Raymond,
was what did you want to be?
Answer him, Raymond, Jesus!
- Veterinarian. Veterinarian.
- Animals.
- Yeah. Animals and stuff.
- Stuff. Yeah, I got that.
- So you need more schooling.
- Too much school.
- Would you rather be dead?
- No, please...
You'd rather die here, on your knees,
in the back of a convenience store?
Please, no.
I'm keeping your licence.
Gonna check in on you.
I know where you live.
If you're not working
to be a veterinarian in six weeks,
you will be dead.
Now run on home.
Run, Forrest, run!
I feel ill.
Imagine how he feels.
Come on, this isn't funny!
What the fuck was the point of that?!
Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day
of Raymond K Hessel's life.
His breakfast will taste better
than any meal you and I have ever tasted.
The New York Times Article that inspired this blog
and why our society should too. OK, to be fair, i really don’t love this girl. I do however think she can sing and thinks shes sincere,
I’ve never been to a restaurant so nice. I’ll be honest, I was a little scared. O yea, I’m still just looking at the website! I find the number listed on the website and call. The man on the other end of the phone call was very polite. I stated “I need to make a reservation for 8p.m.” He said “OK, your reservation has been set, is there anything special you or your guest would like to try? Any food allergies?” This caught me off guard as I’ve never had someone ask if there was anything special I would like to try. I replied “The guest I will be bringing is vegan.” That was no problem for him as he stated that the chef will cook something special for her. 
