Welcoming a New Generation: Millennials

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Informative Summary

Dr. Carol Elam, Dr. Terry Stratton, and Denise Gibson’s, “Welcoming a New Generation to College: The Millennial Students” introduces the generation that will change companies and the workforce lead by the previous generations. Many generations of different time periods have experienced events leading to common values and behaviors within that generation. There are five generations ranging between the years of 1901-2002: The G.I. (1901-1924), Silent (1925-1942), Boom (1943-1960), Generation X (1961-1981), and Millennial Generation (1982-2002). Each generation leaves behind a culture that is accepted, rejected or modified by the next generation. One generation’s culture is the next generation’s common sense. Generation X and Millennial students are the majority of today’s college students. The Millennial students have matured in a cultural environment with positive and negative qualities. Some positive qualities include being generous and practical, working on a schedule, multi-tasking and obeying rules. Along with the positives, technology has produced negative effects such as critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills and rote learning. Parenting has evolved from supportive to almost forceful involvement in their children’s lives during adolescences to college years. Parenting from previous generations used to support their children in higher education emotionally or financially. Today’s Helicopter Parents of Millennial students are overly involved in their children’s life. They are constantly playing an active role in their children’s college life. Today’s Millennial parents are still supporting academic life but have changed from supportive parent to an “aggressively protective parent who assumes an active role in their child’s educational experience” (Pg. 22). These parents will not just sit around waiting for their kids to make the right decisions or accept grades from professors that is average or below. They are actively “involved in discussions regarding their child’s financial aid, housing arrangements, and even disputed grades.” (Pg. 23). College and universities have limited the parents to their children’s academic records and only have limited access to them unless the children give consent to the school to revile their academic records. This act is called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The higher education counselors follow this Act strictly and see these students as adults and independent individuals. The authors state that there are key defining attitudes and behaviors distinguishing the Millennial Generation students. There are 6 attitudes listed: 1) Conventionally motivated and respectful; 2) Structured rule followers; 3) Protected and Sheltered; 4) Cooperative and team-oriented; 5) Talented Achievers; and 6) confident and optimistic about their futures (Pg. 23). Millennial students are motivated by teachers and parents and will look for knowledgeable guidance and support to university faculty and administrators. Millennials will also follow rules, policies, and procedures compared to the earlier generations such as Generation X and the Boomers. Millennials are protected and sheltered and “may ask questions concerning their safety and well-being when acclimating to the university setting” (Pg. 24). This generation will also be team builders and cooperate within group settings making sure everyone does their part in projects and in problem solving. Millennials’ are talented and will have successful opportunities when they are in their undergraduate studies. They will seek assistance if they are failing in a particular subject in finishing their goals. One of the good attributes of this generation is their optimistic views which provide them with the confidence to their futures. Students will receive education and experience to achieve their “generational interests in social welfare and social institutions” (Pg. 25). In comparison to past generations, the Millennial students along with their parents have evolved into a more active role in technology and parenting. The amount of technology involved in a Millennial student’s life has its benefits and drawbacks. Technology has given the students more access to information and networking but has slowed down other areas in their lives such as interpersonal skills or critical thinking. The parents of these Millennial students can be active in their parenting role or being extremely active to the point of it harming their attributes learned by doing it on their own. Both Millennial students and parents have changed over the 20th century and “linking students to local, as well as national and even international initiatives, allows students to define their role within a community, society and the world” (Pg. 25).
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Dr. Carol Elam, Dr. Terry Stratton, and Denise Gibson. (2007) Welcoming a New Generation to College: The Millennial Students. Journal of College Admission.