These days, it seems like everything is a competition. From what school you attend, and what major you’re working towards, to what’s on your resumé. Even how many likes you got on your last Instagram is up for critique, and don’t even get me started on the followers-to-following ratio. Your friend circle, your social media image, your Greek organization. Comparing ourselves to each other, in just about every aspect of life, has become the new norm. Our generation is slowly becoming plagued by this cutthroat nature.
The millennial generation has always been a busy one. Starting from a young age, we have been taught that extracurricular's and activities are just as necessary as school and education. Whether we are aware of it or not, little league soccer and piano lessons quickly became student government, AP classes, three seasons of sports, and a part-time job. But as time progresses, simple expectations like after-school activities won’t cut it anymore. Because if you have free time, you must be doing something wrong. Laziness, and anything that resembles it is a vice. Our parents need us to provide accomplishments for them to be proud of, and our culture entails a schedule that is filled at all times. We are evolving into a highly ambitious population, which to some degree, has been beneficial and has brought us all to where we are today. But at what cost?
Even just as a college student, the pressure to be successful is something we are all already well acquainted with. There’s that one family member who’s always interrogating you about your future plans at holiday reunions. Not to mention, that one person in your class who is the President of two clubs, just landed an internship, and manages to take 18 credits every semester. We’re inclined to think that because we aren’t doing the exact same thing as everyone around us, we’re behind, and therefore not successful. Accomplishments are something to be flaunted and used to get a leg-up in today’s world. Not for personal growth and satisfaction, because that would be just pointless, right? Your friends in the same field as you will eventually be going after the same connections and opportunities as you, and it can be awkward if you aren’t establishing yourselves at the same rate. Competition is a sad reality because we aren’t all the same.
This may seem a little dramatic. But speaking from experience, this is what e-boards, internships, and resumés come down to. It’s an aggressive world out there.
What is expected of our generation is more stressful than that of any before us. What feels like too much, seems like not enough. As confused adolescents trying to navigate the fate of our futures, there is a lot of pressure (to say the least). Self-motivation is entirely necessary, but hard to obtain. All I can say is, buy a planner and grow a thick skin. It’s go-go-go time.
