Since 1998, Beloit College has published its annual “mind-set” list during the back to school season. It is filled with many helpful reminders of the differences between generations – between college students and college parents, between college students and their faculty and even between college age adults and their employers.
According to this year’s report “we have had the NOW generation…get ready for the RIGHT NOW generation, entering college this fall. This fall’s entering college students, the class of 2020, were born in 1998 and cannot remember a time when they had to wait for anything. This year’s list is out today with reminders about this year’s freshmen. The report lists 60 useful reminders – here are ten of our favorites.
- If you want to reach them, you’d better send a text—emails are often ignored.
- They disagree with their parents as to which was the “first” Star Wars episode.
- Catholics and Lutherans have always been in agreement on how to get to heaven.
- While chads were hanging in Florida, they were potty training in all 50 states.
- They have never seen billboard ads for cigarettes.
- There have always been iMacs on desks
- They can’t recall a time when the United States was not at war, or when someone named Bush or Clinton was not running for office.
- Vladimir Putin has always been calling the shots at the Kremlin.
- The Sandy Hook tragedy is their Columbine.
- Airline tickets have always been purchased online.
The complete list (and lists from past years) may be found here.
One of our favorite sources of college humor The Onion also released a spoof of Beloit’s mind-set list that includes these fun tidbits.
- Most were only able to smoke in bars and restaurants until the age of 5.
- Most likely won’t actually graduate college until 2022.
- Will always be younger and more vital than you.
