Everyone knows what a mid-life crisis is. It's when your dad buys a Porsche and your mom suddenly takes up jazzercise. In other words, something inside has snapped, but in most people it snaps back...eventually. So what is a quarter-life crisis?
According to The Word Spy, an Internet site detailing words recently added to the college student's vernacular, a quarter-life crisis is a "feeling of confusion, anxiety, and self-doubt experienced by some people in their twenties, especially after completing graduation."The question that enters most senior minds is, "what now?"
"The thought of having to go back to my parent's house makes my stomach turn," said Tina Collins, who is set to graduate in May. "I just can't imagine having to go back and be treated like a teenager after I get a degree. It makes the four years in college seem like such a waste."
Jamie Siegler, senior psychology major, has her own clinical definition for the quarter-life crisis: "A period of mental collapse caused by an inability to function outside of school or structured environments."
Many college seniors have no idea what they are doing after graduation, which, for some, is just weeks away.
"I'm just trying to get through the semester. I've watched my friends literally almost pull their hair about because they're worried about getting a job," she said. "The only thing that concerns me is paying back my student loans."
Tamara Irons, junior criminal justice major, has begun worrying a full year early.
"I always feel like I should be working harder," she said. "Now, I'm really anxious to make sure I stay on track and graduate when I'm supposed to."
She said the one thing that she worries about the most is how she is going to pay her student loans back.
Other seniors are still enjoying the euphoria of making it through four long years and insist that it's easier when you have a plan.
"I'm so excited. I'm going to graduate school for sociology," said Erica Dallas, who will be graduating in December with a degree in business management.
Dallas said she doesn't feel pressured at all from school, nor does she feel pressured to have a family.
"I should be taking care of myself," she said. "I'm only 21, there's no rush."
Others say that family only adds to the pressure of graduation. "It's different for me because I have a wife and kid at home who depend on me," said Tracey Stevens, senior education major. "Honestly, I feel like failure is not an option. Who wouldn't be nervous with all that pressure on their shoulders?"
Many students feel less pressured by school, but more pressured by the stereotypes they say society places on individuals in their age group.
"The things I feel stressed about have nothing to do with education," said Tershia Malone, who graduates next spring. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like I should be married with 2.3 kids and a dog by now and here I am, still single. It's more about me trying to keep up with the stereotype of what everybody thinks I should be."
Many graduates have advice for those on the edge of the rest of their life.
In their best-selling book, Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties, Alexandra Robbins and Abby Wilner said that there are several ways to avoid a mid-twenties breakdown.
- Don't Have a Career Plan? Don't Worry?You shouldn't strain yourself if you don't have a clear picture of what you want to do after college.
- Separate the Meaning of a Job from Its Trappings.Forget about the money, the prestige, or lack thereof, or what your parents and friends will think about your job. And don't stay at a job you hate just because it's what you're "supposed" to do.
- Scared, Lost, or Clueless About Your Career? Relax, You're Normal.Relax. It may seem like every twenty-something you know has their whole life planned except you, but you're not alone. Many graduates find themselves working in jobs outside their degree fields.
