If you know a college junior, be sure to check on them. Yes, they have made it through the first-year frights and the sophomore slump, but now they may be experiencing the junior jitters. What is that, you say? The junior jitters can include those experiences that students who are closer to graduation than matriculation (we hope!) will work through on their way to their senior year. Here are just a few of them:
Harder classes. I had a conversation with my son (a junior) last week in which I asked him how things were going. He is taking mostly courses in his major, so he should be happy as an equation-loving clam (or octopus–I have recently discovered that they can count!). Not so, he said.
“Classes are hard,” he said.
“Do you need to change your major?” I asked in a breathy, panicked voice.
“Uh, no,” he responded, probably envisioning that he would have to start over working on a degree.
I told him that hard classes in the major, especially in the junior year, is perfectly normal. I even mentioned his sister’s experience when she struggled in a evolutionary biology class after acing her other science requirements. Just because they like the major and enjoy the work most of the times, doesn’t mean they won’t have a class or a whole semester that will kick their butt.
I ended our conversation with reminders I tell my first-year students: monitor learning and make adjustments, reach out for help before there is a serious problem, and share the struggle with the professor.
Out-of-class Callings. By the junior year, most students are knee-deep in organizations and groups or are working at least part time. These out-of-class experiences are often crucial to soft skill building and are a wonderful part of the full college experience. Yet they can overtake one’s calendar and feel as though they are becoming more important than the classroom learning. Some students get overwhelmed because they are trying to fit everything in almost as if it is an elaborate buffet of delicious opportunities and they don’t want to go back for seconds, so they pile their plate precariously.
A reminder is often in order: Balance the out-of-class work–even if it is more fun, challenging, or more “important”–with focus and attention on the of-class work. Yes, those internships, leadership positions, and volunteer projects will help your student differentiate themselves on the job market and they are just dang exciting. But they don’t have much longer in college–and many classes left–so pivoting to focus on the courses that they need to graduate should be their priority.
I am not one to suggest students always drop obligations and do less, but if your student’s grades are suffering, then they may need to learn to say “No” to anything that doesn’t get them through their courses successfully.
The Looming Future. Don’t be fooled by the happy-go-lucky college junior who is living their best life. They know that it will come to an end in the blink of an eye, and they are already calculating what their next steps will be. Even if your student already has a job offer or some assurance of a job market that tilts in their favor upon graduation (I’m talking to you, nurses!), they are still trying to figure out how they will make the leap from one kind of routine and freedom to, well, another kind of routine (and little freedom!).
Things to consider when supporting your jittery junior include avoiding the “future” or “job” talk unless they bring it up.
“So, have you thought about what you are planning to do to support that expensive video gaming habit and your dislike for getting up before 10 a.m. that will allow you to feed and clothe yourself?”
This kind of question is not a great way to get them excited about what lies ahead. Instead, ask them what they are learning in their class–and what they like about it–as well as what skills they are developing outside of class.
And if you want to nudge them to start thinking and talking about the future with someone, encourage them to head to their campus’ career services. Talking to someone who knows what kinds of productive questions to ask and what resources they can use to help them narrow their choices is far better than a well-meaning parent trying to spin college and career advice based off what they experienced in 1995. Sorry, parents, but the world has changed considerably since then and the “tried-and-true” steps for getting that great job are neither tried nor true anymore.
One final bit of advice: Help your student keep their “eye on the prize”–their graduation and launch into the job market or their pathway to graduate school. It is easy to get stressed over all the possibilities–both positive and negative–but taking it one day, or one month, at a time is a good way to keep from getting overwhelmed. Remind your student that they made it this far; they will make it through the next couple of years smarter, stronger, and even more ready for what life will bring them.
