They have it easy, but life is still hard. Current college students are facing many different challenges than prior generations. And, as cliché as it sounds, their parents don’t understand the struggle.

Millennial students were raised in an explosion of technology that brought about infinite resources for knowledge. Programs were put into place encouraging parents to save up for college as soon as their children entered kindergarten. School was easier than ever for children growing up in the late 90s-early 2000s.

Social media was just starting to become a staple, so students still appreciated human interaction amidst the new convenience of digital communication. Parents wanted their children to enjoy their childhood as long as possible so that they could learn to balance work and play, a luxury that past generations did not necessarily have.

So where do the issues lie?

Millennials are expected to pursue higher education to attain more affluent jobs--sometimes going as far as a master’s degree. Furthermore, colleges have made it easier to get involved in the community with sports and extracurriculars that add to a student’s resume and allow them to continue the practice of work-play balance. As it becomes more common for this generation to use all the resources college provides, there is an added pressure for a student to stand out amongst their peers in order to be a prime candidate for a job.

Still, the deeper issue lies in the generation’s inability to embrace adulthood because they get stuck in the child-adult limbo associated with college.

Previous generations had worked so hard to make life as easy as possible for millennials, making it hard to understand the intangible conflict that millennials face. They have paved the way for their children to treat school as their job.The only responsibilities a child had where to get good grades and win their games.

This mentality was carried into college. Therefore, this generation is experiencing issues learning how to balance real adult responsibilities on top of school and extracurriculars. Gone are the days when a student can finish school in four years by working a job that works around their demanding class schedule and pays enough to afford said classes. Students are getting anxious, overwhelmed and burnt out by the reality of the demands placed upon them to be better than everybody else.

What seems natural to parents, such as holding a job and raising a family, is almost foreign to millennials who know nothing more than going to school. This generation has a lot to learn, but luckily they were bred tough, to learn quickly and to never stop until they succeed.

Disclaimer: This article is written as an observation of other millennial college students whom I have met nationwide. They should not be assumed to represent the entire population of college students.