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Journey through the odyssey years
1 Most of us know about the phases of life which we label to parallel different age groups and life stages: childhood, adolescence,  adulthood,  and  old  age. We think of infancy before childhood and middle age before old age, with each unique phase bringing its own peculiar set of challenges. These challenges can be overcome by acquainting ourselves with them, such as the child's need to learn, the adult's need to find the right career and build a family, and the senior's need for support and good health care.
2 Interestingly, ideas about the stages of life are changing.
3 In previous times, people didn't have a solid idea of childhood as being separate from adulthood. A hundred years ago, no one thought of adolescence. Until recently it was understood as a norm that their induction to adulthood was completed as soon as they graduated from college. They would now find a sensible job which would lead to a career. Then during this career they would start a family, ideally before they turned 30.
4 Today we have an equivalent need to recognize a new phase of life that comes after high school graduation, continues through college, and then leads to starting a family and having a career, the so-called odyssey years. Recent trends  show  radical  changes  as  young  people  are  following  a different agenda. They take breaks from school, live with friends and often return to living with their parents. Similarly, they fall in and out of love, quit one job and try another or even shift to a new career. So, we need to recognize this new stage, the odyssey years, which many now consider to be an unavoidable stage in reaching adulthood.
5 People who were born prior to the 60s or 70s in the last century tended      to frame their concept of adulthood based upon achieving certain accomplishments: moving away from home, becoming financially independent, finding the right spouse and starting a family. But that emphasis on stability did not remain static. Today, young people are unlikely to do the same. During the odyssey years, a high proportion of young people are delaying marriage, child bearing, and even employment.
6 The odyssey years can saddle young people with enormous pressure to move forward quickly. As the sole heir and focus of their parents' expectations, hopes and dreams, some react with rebellious and prideful attitudes and

behavior toward their parents. They often resent the pressure they're feeling and keep a distance from their parents or even run away from home. Their confusion comes from the difficulties to make parents understand them and the fluid journey of discoveryreact with they need in this phase of their lives. To get away from this confusion and upset, many young people resort to computer games, iPods, iPhones, or iPads, to help distract them from their pain and stress.
7 Likewise,  their  parents  are  feeling  more  anxious.  They  may make allowances for a transition phase from student life to adult life, but they get upset when they see the transition of their grown children's lives moving away from their expectations and stretching five years to seven years, and beyond. The parents don't even detect a clear sense of direc
tion in their children's lives. They look at them and see the things that are being delayed.
8 It's hard to predict what's next. New guidelines haven't been established yet, and  everything  seems  to  give  way  to  a  less  permanent  version  of  itself. There's been a shift in the status and balance of power between the genders, too. More women are getting degrees than men. Male wages have remained stable over the past decades, while female wages have boomed.
9 Apart  from  anything  else,  this  has  had  an  implicit  effect  on courtship. Educated women can get many of the things they want, such as security, accomplishment, and identity without marriage. However, both genders are having a harder time finding suitable mates to build their lives with. Considering all of this, it's beneficial to know that even though graduates are delaying many things after college, surveys show they still hold highly traditional aspirations. For example, this contemporary generation rates parenthood even more highly than previous generations did!
10 This new phase will likely  grow  more  pronounced  in  the  coming  years. Nations arou
nd the world have witnessed similar trends toward delaying marriage and spending more years than ever shifting between higher education and settling down with a career and family.
11 Nevertheless, graduates shouldn't be deceived into thinking they can back off simply because things have become more difficult. A large number of people chasing relatively fewer opportunities can create strong competitive pressure. So, from the outset, keep your résumé professional and up-to-date. 12 To reinforce this essential message, success moving through the odyssey years will come to those who don't expect to achieve their goals right away but know that they must have the strength, capacity and confidence to endure over the long term. If you're a little late with your goals, don't feel like a failure! Stay

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