Wellington
There's going to be a large swathe of the current generation of youth and young adults, who, totheir dismay, are going to find themselves in a 'quarter-life crisis'.
That’s the finding in America, and the signs are that the same is happening here.
Having been encouraged to keep their options open by taking a range of NCEA subjects at school,from memory and accuracy subjects like mathematics and science, to creative ones like art and drama, never forgetting that sport is in the mix too (because of concerns about obesity), they’refinding that career options are actually restricted.
And, without the memory and accuracy training at school, students can find it extremely difficultto pick up these subjects later in their educational career says Massey University Director ofAgriculture,
Well known as a science communicator, Rowarth says the NCEA's structure, as well as theencouragement from parents and teachers to take the subjects they enjoy at high school, on the basisthat the children then feel positive about schooling and do well, can have major ramificationslater, though still comparatively early, in a young person's life.
"Students at high school are astute," she says. "They are balancing a whole lot of needs, wantsand desires – which include a social life and earning money. They’ve embraced the concept ofwork-life balance much earlier than did their parents, and they have internalised the ‘worksmarter not harder’ mantra. They do look for the time involved in achieving rewards. Some NCEAcredits are known to be easier to achieve than others, and unless the students have the long termgoals – medicine or veterinary studies, for instance, they often don’t see the rewards insticking with what have been shown in British research to be the ‘difficult’ subjects – thememory and accuracy ones."
"But a lot of these subjects used to be after school activities!"
Data out of America shows that the ‘quarter life crisis’ is associated with young adultscoming into the job market primed with a qualification there's not that much demand for –partiucalrly the liberal arts, and performing and creative arts degrees. The figures show suicideand counseling rates increasing dramatically as the world doesn't need many new Julia Roberts' or aBeyonce's. (And that's if the person has talent!).
"What I want parents to encourage and high school students to know is to keep their optionsopen," Rowarth says. "Do those memory and accuracy subjects for as long as possible. Then they'reable to make open ended decisions and choices later on, because the right tramlines in their brainshave been kept open."
She says most young people she meets want to "make a difference."
People are much more likely to achieve this by doing subjects such as science or engineering.These subjects don't exclude 'creativity', and indeed many of her colleagues are wonderful artistsand writers and actors in their spare time.
“Of more importance is that they use their creativity in their work –
And with this ability, you can do anything.
From her Agricultural Science degree, Rowarth has earned money teaching, milking cows, draftingsheep, and the inevitable pouring drinks….
She has also been employed as an actress, and contributes to the media in interviews, articlesand columns.
“Editors ask me to write because I have knowledge about subjects that matter to people – foodand environment," Rowarth says.
"You can ensure varied employment by keeping your options open by doing the school subjects thatunderpin the issues for the world – and you can enjoy them because they are challenging and allowyou to make a difference to people’s lives," she says
"And you can avoid not only the quarter-life crisis, but also that mid-life one as well.”