As college students, most of are used to the old, overused idea that we are lazy, entitled and that we're not prepared for the real world. While some of those ideas have varying degrees of truth, there are also a lot of us out there who work for what we have and who we want to become and represent.
Many of us have built new reputations for ourselves, working hard to establish relationships with professors, peers, employers, internship and job co-workers, as well as a gamut of other people we interact with throughout the college years. We want to show that we're different than the average college student, willing to work harder and better than anyone else to ensure that our future's bright. Many of us are considering graduate school and beyond, or taking a well-paying, satisfying job right out of undergrad.
There are young people who are interested and passionate about the environment and can see past their own generation's needs and into the future, ensuring that our children, grandchildren and even beyond have the same opportunities that we have had. They are working hard to develop innovative scientific advancements that will not only help create a more sustainable approach to living, but will also enhance our current ways of life.
What makes many young people different than any of the previous generations before them is that while they were raised to believe in their dreams and chase them no matter what, we are currently the only American citizens who will not have it better than their parents. So even though our parents, mine included, have always encouraged me to go after what I want and that things will eventually work themselves out, it may not actually be the case for everyone. It's increasingly showing that this is happening in my own life.
I have watched many of my friends and acquaintances complete vigorous schooling programs and work to build a repertoire of great accomplishments only to take a mediocre management job at a chain restaurant or retail store. I've even seen people with graduate degrees unable to find a job simply because our culture of instant gratification and self-centeredness does not tend to reward a well-rounded education and problem solving skills.
While the system we currently live in is struggling, if not almost broken, that is not what I'm focusing on. I'm simply saying that ours is not a generation that should be looked down upon; it is one of endurance and sticking up for not only what it believes in, but for helping others and fighting towards equality that has been continuously overlooked. It is made up of individuals who use technological advances such as the Internet to not only educate themselves, but to help others and raise money for worthy causes that are more entitled, elite individuals choose to ignore in favor of their ingrained, "old" ways. Young generations embrace the new, mixing it with old beliefs in order to find something that works for everyone instead of one that is exclusive.
Young generations are innovative, unique and are on the precipice of change like no other group has been before it. So excuse me if I, personally, am sick of being called lazy when I work multiple jobs, take care of my own bills, purchase a new car and is working towards a Master's Degree, and knows what I want in life. All of this, combined with my observations that I'm not outside of the norm by any degree, have shown that young people, whether they've decided to continue schooling, have started their own family, or are working in other ways towards a brighter future, has shown my that we are many things, but lazy and entitled are not included.
