One of my top 5 strengths (per the Strengthsfinder test) is LEARNER.
Today I was reminded of how much I love learning and working in a university setting. It’s in moments like these when I wonder about going on to pursue a doctorate…then I decide that the amount of suffering I’ll have to endure is not worth it.
The counselors on my campus were invited to hear from Dr. Britt Andreatta, author of Navigating the Research University and former Asst. Dean of Students and Faculty at UC Santa Barbara. Here are some interesting points/take-aways from her presentation:
- Millennials (born from 1982 through the present) are less emotionally mature than previous generations. Many may not even develop emotional maturity until after college.
Ex: One member in the group shared about how she received a reality check of sorts after getting a “C” on her first midterm, and she had never gotten a “C” before in her life. So she thought, “College is harder than I thought, maybe I need to work harder.” Today’s millennial student will typically tend to think, “What’s wrong with me? I’m a failure.”
“The cell phone is the world’s largest umbilical cord.” – SO TRUE. If I had a nickel for every time Joe called mom during summer orientation to decide whether or not he should take a math or a science, or whether 9 am is too early for a class in the fall…
Generational research can lead to stereotyping, but it can also give insight into trends.
Howe & Strauss’ 7 Traits of Millennials (from Millennials Go To College):
- Special
- Sheltered
- Team-oriented
- Achieving
- Pressured
- Conventional
- Confident
TRENDS with Millennials:
- Closer to parents than previous generations
- Least independent of all generations
- Very supported > > Attitude of entitlement
- Skyrocketing mental health issues
Depression among college freshmen has nearly doubled from 8.2% to 16.3%
College students are self-medicating – 44% would describe themselves as binge drinkers
Main takeaway:
As counselors we need to EMPOWER students to know how to help themselves. This will serve them for a lifetime.
