Are Millennials Growing Up Too Fast?

This week I was back in New York, returning to one of my favorite cities to reconnect with friends from NYU. As usual, it was exciting and scenic (and expensive). However, this article is not about my sightseeing activities, but rather, what I learned about my generation and our future professions this summer.

I arrived on Tuesday evening, and as I waited in the dorm lobby for my friend, something peculiar struck me about the students entering the building. On a humid July evening, fellow millennials rushed through the door, often speaking with friends and on the phone. Many were dressed in typical summer wear, wearing shorts, sports jerseys and tank tops.

However, to my surprise, droves of students were dressed in full business formal attire. Men were dressed in suit shirts and pants as they carried their dry cleaning. Women rushed through the turnstiles in elegant dresses and blazers.

As I watched these students, I asked myself: What were they all doing? Initially, I figured these students must have been coming from a formal event, maybe at the Met.

Then it hit me. At a quarter past seven, these twenty and twenty-one year olds were returning home from long days at their summer internships. Dressed in a Kansas City Royals t-shirt and jeans, I was awe-struck. 

Seeing flocks of my “corporate ready” colleagues triggered two profound realizations within me. First, in an incredibly uncertain post-graduation job market, competition for top jobs is higher than ever. Conversely, this means college becomes about post-employment opportunities, and summers become auditions for our future careers. 

This is the new normal, but is it fair? Should twenty year olds be forced to work sixty hours at financial firms to pay off student debt and afford New York City summer housing? Or broadly speaking, should students be forced to dive into their future careers at such young ages?

I wanted this article to be about students growing up too fast (when we should be taking road trips, reading good books, and relaxing during our summers). But to a certain degree, I cannot wholeheartedly endorse this solution. You see, I, too, was in New York for professional purposes. While I was dressed casually at the time, I also carried a garment bag with business formal interview clothes.

 The next morning, I headed uptown for several interviews with media conglomerates. And while I was elated to be making these large professional steps, I could not stop thinking about the countless college-aged students I saw returning from work the previous evening. Through their perfectly pressed suits and blazers, they looked stressed, sweaty, and uncomfortable.

As a generation, we have begun to prioritize our resume and subsequent accomplishments over emotional health. And while our CVs are important, there is also value in enjoying college and having experiences that will be much harder after graduation (for example, studying abroad). 

It is a juggling act, however, taking time to relax and develop personal interests should not be seen as a luxury, but rather a fundamental component of our college years.

How can students achieve work-life balance, and balance their emotional happiness with professional success? #StudentVoices

This post was edited by LinkedIn Campus Editor Amanda Proen?a Santos.