In these difficult economic times, it's not just businesses and adults who are experiencing problems. Students, already a group of the population that was said to be feeling more and more stressed out as demands got more out of control once more and more people were applying to college, now have to enter a workforce that doesn't have room for them with a great deal more debt than their parents had amassed at their own age.
More than just a snide joke that those successful business students crack at the expense of clueless liberal arts majors, the pressures of students are more and more real. First, there is the inflated sense of importance of getting into a good school that starts as early as junior high, and usually kicks in particularly strong in high school. Guidance counselors report more and more children under the age of 18 who are, quite simply, freaking out about their futures, even though they are technically still children. The amount of essays, standardized tests, and then additional standardized tests that are required to apply to university are overwhelming and somewhat mind boggling for high school students.
Most mental health professionals agree that worrying and pressure in and of itself is not something that should be eradicated, but that it only does good when it is appropriate and teaching a lesson. Students are under so much pressure from such an early age that it is not teaching good lessons about stress and coping, but rather, is getting them wound up about all of the wrong things and expending a great deal of their energy thinking about these wrong things instead of focusing on actual troubles at hand.
The most important thing to focus on: paying that student loan debt. It's not something that goes away once you have a degree, rather, it's something that kicks right in. And students, especially those who have never had to pay a loan before, are going to be in for a big surprise when they find out that no sort of nice conversation can convince a debt collector otherwise.
This time to pay back loans comes right after graduation, for which many students had to do a great deal of work, including preparing a thesis and completing vast loads of coursework. In the rush of all of the final touches of student life, many forget the fact that the real obstacle out there in the real world is getting a job and not getting swallowed up in debt, and that process can start just months into life in the real world.
And that's where the real problem actually is. Transitioning to adult life can be hard enough in times of plenty, but when everyone is tightening their collective belts, then it's even more difficult. Having it reinforced that it's possible to make a lot of money doing what you love, and that spending tends of thousands of dollars on a degree can get that process started, is a slightly dangerous way of presenting the world, even to a teenager. With unemployment rates up and global economies crashing left and right, this sort of empty promise is even more damaging.
As unfortunate as it may be, many students are going to have to grow up faster and faster now that things are in the state that they are in. The only shame is that many students, already burnt out from all of the stress of getting into a good school and staying in that good school, aren't going to have the energy left to handle things like debt and student loans immediately after completing their course of study.
While this may be a most unpleasant way for most students to be greeted by the real world, those experts who remember the times after the First World War are saying that it is going to be possible for this generation to bounce back, even though they may have been coddled to a dangerous level. Because after all, once you realize what a struggle it can be to get by, after things settle down a little bit, you realize that you do not have to worry about everything all of the time, once you've lived with actual worry. Who knows if this is going to be the case with students of today or not, but one thing is certain: it's never a good time starting fresh with tens of thousands in debt. In fact, it's nearly impossible.
More than just a snide joke that those successful business students crack at the expense of clueless liberal arts majors, the pressures of students are more and more real. First, there is the inflated sense of importance of getting into a good school that starts as early as junior high, and usually kicks in particularly strong in high school. Guidance counselors report more and more children under the age of 18 who are, quite simply, freaking out about their futures, even though they are technically still children. The amount of essays, standardized tests, and then additional standardized tests that are required to apply to university are overwhelming and somewhat mind boggling for high school students.
Most mental health professionals agree that worrying and pressure in and of itself is not something that should be eradicated, but that it only does good when it is appropriate and teaching a lesson. Students are under so much pressure from such an early age that it is not teaching good lessons about stress and coping, but rather, is getting them wound up about all of the wrong things and expending a great deal of their energy thinking about these wrong things instead of focusing on actual troubles at hand.
The most important thing to focus on: paying that student loan debt. It's not something that goes away once you have a degree, rather, it's something that kicks right in. And students, especially those who have never had to pay a loan before, are going to be in for a big surprise when they find out that no sort of nice conversation can convince a debt collector otherwise.
This time to pay back loans comes right after graduation, for which many students had to do a great deal of work, including preparing a thesis and completing vast loads of coursework. In the rush of all of the final touches of student life, many forget the fact that the real obstacle out there in the real world is getting a job and not getting swallowed up in debt, and that process can start just months into life in the real world.
And that's where the real problem actually is. Transitioning to adult life can be hard enough in times of plenty, but when everyone is tightening their collective belts, then it's even more difficult. Having it reinforced that it's possible to make a lot of money doing what you love, and that spending tends of thousands of dollars on a degree can get that process started, is a slightly dangerous way of presenting the world, even to a teenager. With unemployment rates up and global economies crashing left and right, this sort of empty promise is even more damaging.
As unfortunate as it may be, many students are going to have to grow up faster and faster now that things are in the state that they are in. The only shame is that many students, already burnt out from all of the stress of getting into a good school and staying in that good school, aren't going to have the energy left to handle things like debt and student loans immediately after completing their course of study.
While this may be a most unpleasant way for most students to be greeted by the real world, those experts who remember the times after the First World War are saying that it is going to be possible for this generation to bounce back, even though they may have been coddled to a dangerous level. Because after all, once you realize what a struggle it can be to get by, after things settle down a little bit, you realize that you do not have to worry about everything all of the time, once you've lived with actual worry. Who knows if this is going to be the case with students of today or not, but one thing is certain: it's never a good time starting fresh with tens of thousands in debt. In fact, it's nearly impossible.
About the Author:
Students need a past time to relieve the stresses. Learning how to surf ski is a great break from studies. Learning surf ski technique assists concentration and helps health and fitness.