A few months ago, before I began college, an overwhelming feeling of anxiety overcame me. This anxiety wasn’t ‘first day jitters’ or anything related to starting school. Actually, it was about finishing school, about the uncertainty of graduating and getting a job and making a life for myself.
Like any normal member of our generation, I went straight to the internet to see if anyone could relate. Immediately, I found countless articles, podcasts, and other content on the topic, which I discovered is referred to as a ‘quarter-life crisis’. As defined by dictionary.com, a quarter-life crisis is “a crisis that may be experienced in one’s twenties, involving anxiety of the direction and quality of one’s life”. In a society where your profession is basically your identity, it’s hard to be sure of the path you’re on, or if your path will even lead to a career. According to the Washington Post, only one out of every five college students has a post-graduation job lined up. For some people, it even takes decades to establish a life for themselves. While researching, I got wrapped up in numerous questions: “will I graduate on time?”, “am I pursuing the right profession?”, “will I be successful and happy?”.
After scrolling through a plethora of depressingly relatable posts, I closed my laptop. I noticed one thing they all had in common: The belief that there’s a certain pattern to achieve success. A pattern that starts with high school, then college, then goes straight to a career, but that’s not the case. Yes, some people will head straight to the job of their dreams after graduation, but the majority take years to find the right fit; the important thing is to enjoy your life as it’s still in transition.
Success isn’t the key to a happy life, purpose is. And while you’re dealing with this so-called ‘crisis’, just know that you’re not alone.
