What to do about the quarter life crisis?
By mixey62
@mixey62 (305)
United States
February 6, 2007 1:53pm CST
My friends (females in particular) have all gone through a version of "quarter life crisis". That is, when they have spent a few years in a job after graduating from school, they suddenly get the urge to "change" their whole life. Most have quit their jobs and found new lines of work. Others have quit and gone back to school. Still others have left the work force completely (after graduate school mind you) and devoted themselves to family.
I have done this myself. When I turned 24, I decided I needed to change some things up. I looked for a new job in a completely different industry and moved to Boston from backwoods. I swear if I hadn't taken these drastic steps then, I wouldn't be happy where I am now.
Have you experienced a similar phenomenon? Why does this happen to females more than men?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@comedyaddict (772)
• Canada
6 Feb 07
I've never really thought about it that way before, but you might be onto something there. When I was about that age, I needed a break from my fairly well paying IT job. I bought a business, a coffee shop, and spent the next few years doing it. Sure, I was making less, but I had a lot of fun learning about something different, as well as learning about myself. Since selling the business, I've now recently moved back to Canada after living in New Zealand since I was 10 or so, and gone from a population of 1.1 million people to 70000, and now that I know what I want to do.. I am ready to start living my own life properly now..
1 person likes this
@mixey62 (305)
• United States
6 Feb 07
I really believe that you need one or two tries to get it right when starting out these days. Thank goodness we are so lucky to be able to do that when we are young. When my parents were in their 20's, this did not seem to be the case, but then again a lot of the men were in the military and the women did not leave their jobs so sporadically if they even had one. I believe our generation is giving new meaning to the phrase "pursuit of happiness"- a more literal one.
1 person likes this
@ma_belle (1357)
• United States
6 Feb 07
I think I'm on the brink of experiencing this. I'm 25 and about to finish my masters and I'm not sure if I want to do what I'm getting it in. I also worry about starting a family in time (before I'm 30, hopefully), establishing a career, getting married, still travelling some more.
I think my boyfriend has also gone through this. He finished his trade school program and decided he didn't want to do it anymore, so he is back in school now!
I think this is happening more often than ever, from what I've noticed among my friends.
1 person likes this
