Mid Life Crisis at Age Twenty | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Mid Life Crisis at Age Twenty

157

Today, we are always expected to be thinking about our next step. Starting as early as junior year of high school, family friends were asking you where you were thinking about going to college. By senior year, they were asking you what you wanted to study in college. And by your first year of college, people are asking you what you want to do with the rest of your life. I'm twenty; I don't know what I want to eat for dinner tonight, much less know how I want to spend my post-graduate years.

I'm almost completely through my second year of college, and I am terrified of the idea of becoming a junior because that means the real world is becoming a harsh reality that I'm not ready to become a part of quite yet. I sit here halfway through my collegiate career, in what others may call the "Sophomore Slump," but I'm going to call it a mid-life crisis at age twenty. I call it a mid-life crisis at twenty because this year has been a year of doubts. I've doubted my major, my friendships, my involvement and even my college decision. I've wanted to switch my major but didn't know what I'd even switch it to. I don't actually intend to use my degree and am instead going to go a whole other route with my career, which my plans for post-grad could definitely change within the next thirty minutes. I've questioned my friends and have doubted who my true friends are and who are just seasonal friends. I've wanted to break plates to relieve my stress over my overcommitment with clubs and organizations this year. And lastly, I even applied to transfer to another school, thinking a change of schools would somehow solve all my problems. Some may say I'm suffering from the "Sophomore Slump," but this is a pretty deep slump if you ask me.

After finally admitting to myself that this was more than a "Sophomore Slump" and in fact was a mid-life crisis at age twenty, I decided that transferring wasn't the solution and that panicking about my life, about my major, my friends, where I invest my time and effort, was quite normal; honestly, I would be concerned if I wasn't asking myself tough questions. I'm twenty years old. I don't care who you are or if you're twenty or sixty, but no matter how much you tell yourself and the world that you have your life figured out, you don't, and that's okay. I'm certain that people think that I have my life figured out because people tell me that I seem so put together and on top of things at all times, but I guess I'm just good at faking it. I think a lot of people would agree with me when I say that I have no idea what I want to do when I graduate, why I'm majoring in what I'm majoring in or, what I'm going to have for dinner tomorrow night, but I'll figure it out eventually, right?

Even if I did have a plan and knew all the steps I wanted to take, I guarantee you something would happen to throw off my plan in some way, shape or form. If I've learned anything in life, it's that the only thing that is constant in our world is change. People will change, majors may change, passions and desire will change, and your plans will most certainly change. So yes, I seriously considered transferring, thought about changing my major and doubted who my true friends were, but I learned that it's okay that I don't have it figured out. Questioning myself, my friends and my life isn't a sign of a mid-life crisis or a slump or depression but a sign of growing. As long as I'm growing and changing and learning more about myself and how I want to leave my impact on this world, then having a mid-life crisis at age twenty is only a minor obstacle in a lifetime full of beautiful and life-changing uncertainty.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

12 Types Of Drunk Girls You'll See In Every Friend Group

"Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives."

298
friends
Cloud Front

Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives. Each one of you plays a vital role in making sure the night goes (relatively) smoothly.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

10 Signs You Work In A Restaurant

There's always chaos in the restaurant business.

1209
10 Signs You Work In A Restaurant
Brisanis

Working in the restaurant industry is possibly the most fundamentally challenging occupation I have ever experienced when it comes to hospitality and customer service. When you go to a five-star restaurant you expect the time of your life, a two hour getaway, a walk through another time period (rustic Italy, France, Spain, etc), or simply a honeymoon undergo. What you don't see are the behind the scenes scut work: carrying trays, polishing glassware and silverware, kitchen chaos, the list is endless. Now, I'm not saying being a host, server, or bartender is the worst thing in the whole wide world, there are definitely worse things. But the fact of the matter is that it isn't always sunshine and rainbows. In the two years that I have spent in restaurant and customer service, I have spoken my share of expletives, yelled at kitchen staff, and dealt with not-so-happy guests. It isn't easy to keep a bright and shiny smile on your face when all you want to do is choke every person who walks near you. Anyone who has spent even two weeks working in a restaurant understands the rigor and stress that comes with it. Restaurant culture is a tiny world in and of itself that operates on its own principles and creates its own society. It even has its own language. The sayings "runner", "corner", and "on a bus" wouldn't make sense to anyone otherwise. My mother and I both work in a restaurant and the best advice I can give someone going out to eat is to treat us like people. Yes...believe it or not we are people, people. Say "please" and "thank you", or stack your cleared plates before a busser gets to the table. Trust me, the gesture goes a lot farther than you may think.

So, if you work in a restaurant, you can relate with the following points. If not, check out how the brain of a restaurant service (or any customer service) worker actually works. See if you can identify any crazy weird habits your friends have a tendency to partake in.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

11 Things I Learned My Freshman Year of College

Not everything you learn in college can be found in a textbook.

856
Breanna Vogel
Breanna Vogel

One of the scariest things we will ever face in our life is going to college. Many of us move away to a new town, join new organizations, and make new friends. We are expected to study, have a social life, relationships, maybe work, and be healthy. It seems pretty easy to do, and in high school all we wanted to do was graduate and move on to this next chapter of our lives. If you are in high school, here are some things that you can learn from before you get to college. If you have already been through your freshman year of college, hopefully you can relate to the things I have learned in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
how to get away with murder
Tumblr

It's about that time where we are too tired to do anything productive, too cold to leave bed, and too lazy to find a new show to watch so we result to re-runs.

For all of you home-bodies, for all of you cold weather haters, here are my suggestions for this holiday break. Let the binging begin!

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

12 Long-Term Relationship Milestones

You've got a keeper if you've made it to any of these milestones.

1100
couple on the beach
Pexels

You've been together for so long. It's great. And as the time spent in your relationship grows, you hit certain milestones where you know it's real. These can be make-or-break moments, or just little things where you finally realize that you're both doing it. Everybody hits these milestones, no matter how long it takes; they're inevitable.

You know you've made it when you hit these long-term relationship milestones.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments