Lexus. Hummer. Mercedes. 300Z. Think I’m at a car dealership? Most dealerships I know wouldn’t have such a fine selection in one parking lot.
I’m in a college town, visiting at a student apartment complex. Me and Ashton Cooper, my brand new Mini, are in town for a conference. And I thought I had a fine ride. Poor Ashton Cooper. He was so proud, and feels so out of place with all of these bigger luxury cars. I tell him I’m proud of him and not to care what the other cars think.
As for me, I’m a range of emotions. Confused, appalled, amazed and yes, a bit jealous. What are college undergrads doing driving such nice cars? Might I add that none of these appear to be older models that have been passed down from parent to child? They appear quite new. Some still have paper plates.
I’m sure the kids – and I hate to say it, but yes, they are kids – must need a nice ride to make up for the college living conditions. You know, cinder block and wood shelves paired with an assortment of hand-me-down furniture. One roommate brings the TV, one brings the microwave. If you’re really fortunate, there’s a laundry hook-up in the apartment. Extremely fortunate means one roommate actually has a washer and dryer to hook-up. Remember?
As I knock on the door of one of the units, I notice how nice the complex is. Entering the apartment I’m stopped cold. Whose dad purchased the 55” flat screen TV? What’s this – there are flat screen TV’s in each bedroom? And each bedroom has a private on-suite bath?
I step back outside to make sure I didn’t take a wrong turn and enter the Ritz Carlton.
This place is unbelievable. I’m told that this is not considered the nicest complex in town. I’m also trying to figure out how I can move in.
The students plead their case. “We’re under so much pressure. We’ve gotta have a nice place to live.”
This is not my first semester, telling them to brace for a much lower standard of living once they’re on the own instead of living in a luxury apartment that came with all the furnishings. Rolling their eyes, they think I’m “old-school” and somewhat out of touch with the 21st century reality that is college academic life.
LOL! You don’t know snot, young ‘un.
OK, so I didn’t really say that. But believe it or not, I do understand the kind of pressure you’re under. I was here, remember?
Research. Essays. Lab assignments. Projects. Exams. All-nighters. Non-stop studying while living in an environment with non-stop partying. Whew – college was tough; I remember it well.
Pressure packed days and weeks that led up to one KPI (key performance indicator) for the entire semester: GPA. I still shudder when I think of it.
Not the pressure; my GPA. Undergrad was not my finest moment as a student. Thank goodness I had the chance to redeem myself in grad school.
And there was the added pressure to determine a career path to choose. Heaven forbid a mistake was made here. Life could be over.
Yes, I’m painfully aware of the pressure. Years have passed since graduation and I still have the nightmare where I’m at college, it’s the end of the semester and suddenly I realize that I’ve never been to one of my classes. Now I have to try and pass a final exam. I wake up sweating every time I have this dream.
Kids, I’ve got news for you. You haven’t experienced real pressure yet.
Real pressure happens once you enter the work force. No holiday breaks and no summer vacation. No option to choose between summer school or just working for some cash.
Real pressure also happens with a lay-off. Losing your job is one of the most tense, pressure-packed situations a person can be in. Not to mention emotional. If you’re past 30 when a lay-off hits, you probably have a mortgage, maybe a family to think about. This is not a situation for the faint of heart. One wrong decision now affects those who depend on you too.
I’ve discovered that pressure never really goes away. It simply manifests itself in different ways. Now the pressure is on to find a job, one that we like and also pays enough to cover expenses. Time is the enemy as those of us in lay-off limbo desperately search for a source of income during trying economic times. Even if you’ve financially planned for a lay-off, the pressure is still there.
How nice it would be if studying hard for a good grade would land a job in our lap.
© Tami Cannizzaro 2011 All Rights Reserved
Like Tami, I was terminated once (By my best friend, BTW – he is now on the board of the agency I lead, so I got him back – ha!), but you don’t have to be unemployed to learn something from this book. 
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