SOS: How to Battle the Quarter-life Crisis
Words by Katherine C. Eustaquio
Published in Total Fitness Magazine Jan-Feb 2010 issue
These past few days, I found myself sharing some of my experiences with my sister and her friends who just graduated from college. They all share the same sentiments and fears—“What am I going to do after college?”, “What if I don’t get a job?” and “I went through four years of college for this meager pay?!”
Amazingly, my then fresh grad self never bothered with those questions. Not because I already knew where I’m headed or what I wanted but more because I had only one thing in mind at that time: Abandon journalism forever and ever amen.
Back then, I was too ecstatic knowing that I was finally entering the real world—goodbye exams, goodbye curfews. Although it also meant goodbye student allowance, I was the poster child of optimism. I felt that my ideas could change the world and I looked forward to spending the megabucks that I was going to earn.
Four years later, I find myself writing three articles a day, living from paycheck to paycheck, and asking myself in the eternal words of Princeton, “What do you do with a B.A. in English?” My boyfriend told me that I’m going through a “quarter-life crisis”—a dilemma that hits people between their late teens to their early thirties who feel overwhelmed and even lost about the path they want to take in life. Most young professionals are thrown into the corporate world without the proper understanding on how to survive and succeed in it. Some rethink their careers; some go back to school, but the fact remains that even the most preppy class achievers begin to lose their megawatt smiles because of the overwhelming reality of the corporate world.
Here’s the gist: everyone goes through a quarter-life crisis but it’s up to you to decide on how you’re going to battle the tides. Here are a few no-nonsense tips:
You’re not alone. Thousands of people around the world go through the same stage. Some may not be open about their feelings, but they sure fret about what they want to do in life. Don’t isolate yourself. There are many of us.
Discover yourself—make peace with your strengths and weaknesses. If you continue to push yourself without knowing your own limitations first, you’d end up more discouraged than ever. Take the world’s criticism with a grain of salt and be at peace with yourself.
Don’t expect the perfect job straight after college. When you’re fresh meat, all you have is a one-page CV with college-related information that most employers don’t really care about. Still, give your first job your best shot; the megabucks come later. It’s like a game in PS2, you level up.
Ditch the fantasy. Work your reality. Blame Hollywood, but the pricey clothes, the gadgets, the condo-living, the spacious office, and the sports cars are things that you have to work hard for. Don’t feel depressed if you find yourself working in a standard gray cubicle. Remember, you are a work in progress.
Think before you leap. One by one, your friends are tying the knot and settling in their own married lives. If you’re the last single person in your group, you’d probably panic. But before you start scouring the lands for your potential partner in life, think carefully if you’re ready for that kind of change. People mature differently.
It’s okay to be lost…for a while. Sometimes, it’s okay not to know what you want to do…yet. This idle time gives you the chance to get to know yourself better and decide on what you want to achieve. The guys in Avenue Q are right: in college, you have an academic advisor who can point the way. In life, not even your parents or your life partners can tell you the right path to take. So just like what they guys said: don’t stress, relax, and let life roll off your backs because just like heartaches and backaches, the quarter-life crisis is, after all, only for now.
Published in Total Fitness Magazine Jan-Feb 2010 issue
“I wish I could go back to college.
In college you know who you are.
You sit in the quad, and think, "Oh my God!
I am totally gonna go far!" – Princeton (Avenue Q)
These past few days, I found myself sharing some of my experiences with my sister and her friends who just graduated from college. They all share the same sentiments and fears—“What am I going to do after college?”, “What if I don’t get a job?” and “I went through four years of college for this meager pay?!”
Amazingly, my then fresh grad self never bothered with those questions. Not because I already knew where I’m headed or what I wanted but more because I had only one thing in mind at that time: Abandon journalism forever and ever amen.
Back then, I was too ecstatic knowing that I was finally entering the real world—goodbye exams, goodbye curfews. Although it also meant goodbye student allowance, I was the poster child of optimism. I felt that my ideas could change the world and I looked forward to spending the megabucks that I was going to earn.
Four years later, I find myself writing three articles a day, living from paycheck to paycheck, and asking myself in the eternal words of Princeton, “What do you do with a B.A. in English?” My boyfriend told me that I’m going through a “quarter-life crisis”—a dilemma that hits people between their late teens to their early thirties who feel overwhelmed and even lost about the path they want to take in life. Most young professionals are thrown into the corporate world without the proper understanding on how to survive and succeed in it. Some rethink their careers; some go back to school, but the fact remains that even the most preppy class achievers begin to lose their megawatt smiles because of the overwhelming reality of the corporate world.
Here’s the gist: everyone goes through a quarter-life crisis but it’s up to you to decide on how you’re going to battle the tides. Here are a few no-nonsense tips:
You’re not alone. Thousands of people around the world go through the same stage. Some may not be open about their feelings, but they sure fret about what they want to do in life. Don’t isolate yourself. There are many of us.
Discover yourself—make peace with your strengths and weaknesses. If you continue to push yourself without knowing your own limitations first, you’d end up more discouraged than ever. Take the world’s criticism with a grain of salt and be at peace with yourself.
Don’t expect the perfect job straight after college. When you’re fresh meat, all you have is a one-page CV with college-related information that most employers don’t really care about. Still, give your first job your best shot; the megabucks come later. It’s like a game in PS2, you level up.
Ditch the fantasy. Work your reality. Blame Hollywood, but the pricey clothes, the gadgets, the condo-living, the spacious office, and the sports cars are things that you have to work hard for. Don’t feel depressed if you find yourself working in a standard gray cubicle. Remember, you are a work in progress.
Think before you leap. One by one, your friends are tying the knot and settling in their own married lives. If you’re the last single person in your group, you’d probably panic. But before you start scouring the lands for your potential partner in life, think carefully if you’re ready for that kind of change. People mature differently.
It’s okay to be lost…for a while. Sometimes, it’s okay not to know what you want to do…yet. This idle time gives you the chance to get to know yourself better and decide on what you want to achieve. The guys in Avenue Q are right: in college, you have an academic advisor who can point the way. In life, not even your parents or your life partners can tell you the right path to take. So just like what they guys said: don’t stress, relax, and let life roll off your backs because just like heartaches and backaches, the quarter-life crisis is, after all, only for now.
