There is a good chance you have heard of a "midlife crisis." The phrase probably makes you visualize a balding man going out to buy a shiny new sports car. The person is beginning to fear that they haven't done enough in their life or haven't exactly lived life the way they wished they would've. He or she is reflecting on all of the decisions that have gotten them to the point they are at today.
A quarter life crisis is pretty similar to this phenomenon. Minus the balding and sports car. Unless you are particularly unlucky with the first or incredibly blessed by the latter. Regardless, many individuals experience a "quarter-life crisis" in their twenties. Rather than contemplating the past, however, your mind is constantly occupied with thoughts of who you are becoming and what your future holds.
There are a few signs that may indicate that you are having a quarter-life crisis.
The first thing you may notice is that really strange things are starting to bring you joy.
Yesterday I fixed the Keurig coffee machine in our house. By the amount of happiness that was brought into our home the moment it was brewing again, you would have thought that I had won the lottery. There are very few things nowadays that bring me more relaxation than making a nice meal and hanging out in the kitchen. Having our house pre-equipped with a functional washer and dryer set almost brought tears to my eyes. When they have your favorite organic brand of strawberries at your local grocery store, you might as well just throw a party.
The next thing that may stick out to you is your financial independently-dependent-ness.
You probably have some kind of job whether it's an on-campus job, an internship, or stocking shelves at a supermarket. However, you are also most likely enrolled in college. College is expensive. So, the chances are you are probably also very reliant on your parents for money as well. This state of managing your own finances, credit card bills, rent, etc. while still being financially supported by your parents is pretty bizarre. In one instant you feel ready to fly the coop and be on your own; the next instant you are thinking "how am I ever going to make it alone".
Are you supposed to be single and ready to mingle or married?
Relationships are also super tricky right now. If you aren't dating someone you are probably feeling like your clock is ticking on finding your soulmate. You may start to feel the pressure of everyone pairing up. If you are dating someone it is probably pretty serious. The chances are you are really contemplating a lot about your relationship status. Now feels like your last chance to date around and meet others. Or if you are perfectly content with your relationship, you are stressing out about the next steps you two are expected to take. Maybe you think you're too young for marriage, you're contemplating moving in together, or you just want to keep growing independently. Any of this situations provided a hefty amount of food for thought.
Just as someone experiencing a midlife crisis may reconsider their career, you may be trying to navigate through your jumbled mess of future paths lying ahead of you.
There is an obscene number of majors and jobs our there in the world. You may be encroaching upon graduation and realize you hate what you are studying; you may get a job or internship and realize you don't want to do something like that for the rest of your life. The biggest lesson in future planning is working towards something you are immensely passionate about. If you aren't currently working towards that end goal, devise a reasonable plan that gets you closer to achieving it.
One last funny phenomenon is the work to play ratio.
Prior to these years in your life, it's fairly easy to let play outweigh work. Now, it is way more common for you to pass up a night at the bars to stay in and get caught up on work and life in general. A relaxing evening in often time sounds far more appealing than getting all done up to go out because you are often so exhausted from everything else that you have had to complete throughout your week. When you have to get up and go to a job at 8 in the morning on Fridays, that puts a damper on those crazy Thursday nights. That ratio is now focused on work, with a little play here and there.
"Adulting" is a hard thing for college students and young adults to get accustomed to. There is a lot that goes into growing up. There are certainly pleasures that go into this coming of age, yet there are also some complications that bring you directly to having a quarter-life crisis.
Ultimately, I wouldn't suggest that you go blow money on a sports car. You're poor, remember? However, I would suggest keeping a level head and accepting the changes in your life for what they are and embrace your emerging future.
