The other day I met with a professor of mine to discuss my academic future, and he asked me what my plans were for the future. I hesitated, what are my plans for the future? I'm only a sophomore in college, so I have some time to prepare for what my life may have in store for me, but I got to thinking later on: why do I still feel like a kid even though I'm 20 years old? More importantly, will I be okay when I enter the real world with a major that won't allow me to be economically successful? I won't have the cushy safety blanket of my undergrad years to break my fall anymore, I'll be thrust into the scary world of graduate studies full of grants, research proposals, a real job, and SO. MUCH. DEBT.

The answer to the question about feeling so young in an ever maturing world is not as simple as it may seem. Today's social researchers are exploring the concept of emerging adulthood. This term, coined by sociologist Jeffrey Arnett, is a new life stage that has been identified in millennial lives, ("millennial" refers to those born between the years of 1982 and 2000, also called "Generation Y") as a time of possibilities, self-focus and discovery, identity exploration, feeling "in between" and most of all, instability. And emerging adulthood is a real thing, not something made up by the annoyed older generations. Millennials, according to Baby Boomers, have something called "Peter Pan Syndrome", in which we have a sort of fear of growing up and facing the real world. But it's not only millennials fostering this thought, it's other institutions as well. For example, most pediatric practices offer care to patients through the age of 21, insurance companies allow children to stay on their parents insurance plan through age 25, and many insurance companies will not allow people under 21 to apply for credit cards without a parent signing on. These policies institutionalize the extended transition to adulthood, and federal policies offer little assistance to those emerging adults who do not have as much parental involvement.

The current economic environment isn't ideal for anyone, let alone the upcoming graduating classes from either high school or college. The average millennial is $45,000 in debt, most of that being student debt. Ironically enough, 48% of college graduate millennials are working in jobs that do not require four-year degrees. It is scary to think about where I will be when I graduate with a double major in Classics and Sociology: among social science grads, only 54% have jobs that require a four-year diploma.

This period of instability leads to a sense of, for lack of a better phrase "HELP!!!" It's super daunting to think about where we will be when we graduate, what we graduate with, how much money we will make, and the future in general - scares the hell out of me. Specifically at the University at Buffalo, (SUNY), where STEM majors rule the roost, 3,371 people are enrolled in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In contrast, there are 30 declared classics majors, and the most upper level seminar for sociology has at most 150 people in it. This seems to speak volumes about emerging millennial values, and the desire for immediate vocational profit. Instead doing what people really want to do and taking the risk of not making huge amounts of money, the general trend is towards the STEM fields for big paychecks soon after graduation. It's no unknown fact to me that my boyfriend, who is currently pursuing a double major in Computer Engineering and Mathematics, is going to make more money straight out of college while I'm stuck in graduate school, mulling over Homer's "Iliad" in Greek for the millionth time looking for inconsistencies in Achilles' character.

I understand that my majors will not make me a ton of money, and I'm okay with that. Like many other millennials, (75%) I think of myself as authentic and unwilling to change my personal values in order to conform to the masses. When I enrolled in the Classics department, I realized that Greek and Latin would not make me a six figure salary, rather that it would give me a deeper sense of self-fulfillment and gratification. My Classics department friends realized this as well, many of them switching to this major from one that would have made them money in comparison, such as marine biology, forensic sciences, and environmental sciences. It's not about what makes us rich, it's about what makes us happy.

To wrap up in a cheesy, inspirational summary: we only have one life, and it goes by so fast in an ever-changing, fast paced, technologically inclined world. Seriously, I blinked and I was 20. Scary, right? I guess I sort of still feel like a child because as you get older, you lose your opinion about what you want and shift it to what's best for your economic situation. Following your heart is a juvenile idea to so many people that they eventually grow out of it and stop doing it. There's no shame in listening to your inner child, because they know what your true desires and passions are. It's so easy to live a life that's devoid of meaning in order to get a steady paycheck, and to leave the Earth knowing that you didn't do anything for you. If your career path makes you money and makes you happy, then bonus points! For me, I'd rather make $30,000 a year than be miserable in a job I hate for the rest of my life. My fears after college are rooted in financial and career instability, but it's a risk I have to be willing to take. But what's life without a little gamble?