The permanence of university stress

For some time now, there has been a spreading concern that life has become unbearably fast-paced and busy. We are all familiar with the complaints, which range from the extension of the average workday to gripes about fast food to concerns about the effects of technology. These ideas have all been covered extensively, but we seem to ignore a related problem- one that is more subtle and stifling. Nowadays, we place immense pressure on young people to achieve specific goals and to do so as quickly as possible. While we are young, specifically of university age, we feel that we have a great deal of freedom. We are able go out on the town almost any night of the week, and can drag ourselves to morning classes safe in the knowledge that an afternoon nap will cure all. We may have part time jobs and our own apartments, but few of us at this point have the burden of real financial responsibility. What most of us university students don't notice for the most part is the real pressure we are under to complete our education and prepare for the rest of our life in the conventionally approved way.

For starters, I take issue with the four year, five credit undergraduate degree. For those of us who can afford to not work during the school year, a standard five credit course load may be manageable, but for those of us who find we must work to make ends meet, this workload is unbearable. At best, courses are passed by enduring late-night cram sessions before tests and essays written hours before they are due. When trying to plow through so much material in so little time, it's hard to retain any valuable information or feel like we've truly learned from the class.

In order to ensure a better quality learning experience, most of us who work take a lighter course load and do indeed enjoy our courses more, even though this usually tacks on an extra semester or two to the undergraduate degree. It seems horribly unfair that a student's desire to improve the quality of his education can result in his or hers being punished. Some employers are suspicious or disapproving of students who seem to have taken longer to complete their degrees. Other students take time off before or during their undergraduate degrees to travel, regroup, or any number of other reasons. It is a shame that students making choices to improve the quality of their lives are often penalized or judged in this matter.

After graduation, the pressures young people must face increase dramatically: at this time, many rent apartments and those of us who have taken out government loans must start repaying them. These new financial burdens couple with the pressure to obtain a job that will ensure good social standing, and result in people feeling as if they have no choice but to stow away more unconventional plans. Those who would like to do extensive traveling often put it off or travel less for fear of being seen as a 'drifter.' Those who can't imagine that they would be happy working in an office often ignore this inclination because this seems easier than worrying about being judged for not having a job with enough prestige.

The greatest disadvantage to living a life that has been mapped out for us by expectation is that we lose the freedom to live our own lives as we see fit. To live happily, it is important to pursue the lifestyle that best fits us. After all, there is great honour and prestige in being a doctor, but there is great frustration and emptiness when the honour and prestige are the only considerations in becoming a doctor. Put simply, it is hard to live authentically when we feel as if we are following a checklist of what is considered acceptable.

It is incredibly easy for young people to lose sight of how to truly live in a way that is in tune with their personalities and desires. If offered a lucrative job, for example, it's tempting to accept, even if we are reasonably certain that doing so means that we end up rich but exhausted and miserable. No one wants to be the cocktail party guest who feels as if they should pad the truth about their careers in order to seem more successful. Once in a while though, there comes an inspirational and brutal reminder that modern values can be horribly skewed.

The late Christopher Reeve, paralyzed in a tragic accident, urged us to remember what is truly important in life: "By the time I was twenty-four, I was making millions. I was pretty pleased with myself.I was selfish and neglected my family. Since my accident I've realized.that success means something quite different. I see people who achieve these conventional goals. None of it matters.