Millennials: happy at work?

One of the post-grad conversations a lot of my friends have been having lately is how many of our classmates feel happy at their jobs. Everyone worked hard up until this point search for employment, submit applications and eventually receive an offer and accept a position at a company...but do they like where they are now?

I know many individuals who are happy to have had a plethora of offers amidst the not-so-favorable economy and job landscape in various industries, but chose to hold out until they found a company where they could truly see themselves working and staying long-term. It has become common to ask questions like, Are you learning? Are you challenged? Are you more than just content? in these discussions.

This blog post accurately describes Gen Y-ers' lack of happiness as a generation, due to the expectations variable outweighing reality, contributing to this diminished happiness. It illustrates the following equation:

Rigorous college coursework, internships and additional factors explain our high expectations in the work force. Our parents and older co-workers were not trained to believe in being promoted quickly and being challenged by every single project they touch.

Using a prototype character named Lucy, I was impressed at the simple depiction the author writes describing Millennial feelings on ambition and the word 'special.' It taught me to attribute many of my acquaintances' lack of happiness to their ambition and high expectations, and to take steps toward adjusting this model in my own head as well.

I recommend you read the rest of the post here:
http://www.waitbutwhy.com/2013/09/why-generation-y-yuppies-are-unhappy.html

Suburban woes: North Shore edition

Now that I'm back home living in the suburbs, I'm in the transitional stage of observance and comparison. Not only observing what lifestyle routines are different when living with your family again and living in a suburb rather than on a campus, but also comparing situational nuances to how college students deal with similar thing.

In a well-populated area of suburbanites, here's a list that my friends and I have come up with titled "suburban woes" - realizations, issues, complaints and funny moments that happen every day. All of these aren't even jokes, they have actually happened since we've been home to someone or another, or we've seen it happening. When you read each of these, envision yourself saying 'Uh oh! There are no bigger problems in life!' after each one. Enjoy!

You have to move the car closer to the driveway or the neighbor might hit it!

I see my whole high school on the Metra.

Plaza del Prado (the shopping center) is flooded after that storm!

The park got new benches! 

New benches at the Glenview Dairy Bar

Who goes inbound toward the city at 5 p.m.? That's not a commuter schedule! 

We have to take the lighted tree down because neighbor complained it was too bright and the town sent us a letter to remove it. 

I can’t talk in the Metra’s quiet car!

I can barely drive down my street because there are so many landscaping companies mowing the lawns and taking up the road!

Waiting for the Madison Avenue stairs at Union Station is the longest part of your commute.

I have to move to the side of the street when I'm biking and cars drive by- ugh.

You have to straighten your hair and wear nice clothes to the Little League baseball game. 

No where is open to go out after 10 p.m.!

A woman looks at you at the frozen yogurt store and says “I’m going to leave my dog here while I order, let me know if you see it run away.”

Do you have anything you would add?

Post grad problems: 8 things found cleaning out the high school bedroom

I've started doing every college student's favorite activity...cleaning out the room he or she grew up in. Although I often clean over breaks, something's different about cleaning when you know you'll have to keep said items in your own home or apartment.

I found plenty of craziness when cleaning out papers and clothing, but the most amusement came when a large, bulletin board fell down. I wasn't emotionally prepared to tackle this board, but the fly in the room that I had to kill must have been a sign that it was time to go. 

Here are the eight most comical, random things I found while cleaning off this board and other items in the bedroom:

• The other half of BEST FRIENDS keychains

• Polaroid photos from a ride at Chuck E. Cheese

• Disneyland postcards from 1997

• Athens 2004 apparel - Greece was very proud to host the Olympics!

• A Chattanooga (Yes, the city in Tennessee) police department keychain. What?

• A pile of 20+ inspirational statements from fortune cookies and raisin boxes. 

• Miniature license plates and keychains from various cities that have your name on them

• Receipts and ticket stubs for companies that have since gone out of business, like Crown Theaters (which is now Regal Theaters) and LaSalle Bank (now Bank of America) 

This is the first post that will be tagged with PGP, or post graduate problems. More post-college revelations will be written up under this tag here!