Notes on a quarter-life crisis

Yesterday I handed in my Master's thesis, and by the time this column is published, I will hopefully have finalised my application to graduate. As I’m writing this, I can feel the grip of a post-stress cold worming its way into my body – I always get sick after exam season. But there is also a sense of relief, although it is mingled with apprehension. These past few weeks, I have spent every day in the library, often until closing time, writing feverishly with too much caffeine and sugar in my blood. The feeling of completion is sweet, but also daunting: what happens next?

Although I had many great experiences during my studies these past couple of years, I also didn’t enjoy the overall degree as much as I thought I would. This is probably due to the fact that I discovered halfway through my research master's that I, in fact, don’t particularly enjoy research. Sure, there were aspects of it that were fulfilling — getting to do fieldwork abroad was definitely a highlight — but the overall process? As the months went on, I became more doubtful that this was a career trajectory that I wanted to follow. And now, as I wait for my final grades to be added to OSIRIS, I feel that what follows will be the proverbial two roads diverging in a yellow wood. Or maybe in more modern terms, a quarter-life crisis. 

I use the term quarter-life crisis somewhat jokingly, but it is a well-documented phenomenon, especially in Psychology studies. A survey conducted by LinkedIn found that as many as 75 percent of young people between the ages of 25 and 33 have experienced a quarter-life crisis. From talking with friends within my age cohort, this figure does not surprise me at all. So many of us are trying to figure out this weird phase of our lives where we want both stability and adventure, fulfilment and security. And with the current state of the world and its multiple disasters, who can blame us? Sure, we want that dream job, but will we be able to afford to rent in that same city? Should we choose a career that pays well but ruins our mental health, or one that leaves us broke but gives us passion? Or should we just pack it all in and go “find ourselves” in some distant country, where we discover our love for wildlife photography and meditation?

The choices that face us post-graduation can be intimidating. Yet, in some ways, they are also a privilege. How lucky am I that I get to examine that fork in the road and realise that I have more than one option? If this is to be my quarter-life crisis, I might as well make the most out of it. Time to dust off the camera and go photograph some birds. 

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