Undergraduate students have been getting a bad wrap lately for being naïve and unrealistic with regard to the working world. In the past few months, I have heard more people complain about students’ sense of entitlement, than all my university years combined. However, according to a study released in the Journal of Business and Psychology last week, this stereotype is actually fairly accurate. The study concludes that most undergrads believe they will receive a promotion within 18 months of their first day, and a 63% pay increase in the first five years. Maybe the critics are right, or maybe there’s an abundance of ambition within the campuses, regardless, as a recent grad just starting out, I feel it’s my duty to put these assumptions, stats, and misconceptions into context.

Let’s start at the start: entry-level salary. According to the study, most students feel as though $43,000 is a fair starting point. Co-writer of the study, Sean Lyons, agrees this is a fairly realistic expectation, but that’s about as down to earth as it gets. He concedes that as students approach graduation, their expectations become more grounded, which is understandable. The way Universities hype themselves up these days, upon enrollment you’re practically led to believe you’ll be a millionaire. So, let the misconceptions, and skepticism begin…

Maybe these are my ambitions talking, or maybe I’m fitting into the study perfectly, but despite the lofty goals of a promotion within 18 months, and a salary of up to $70,000 after five years, I don’t think they’re too far fetched. Now mind you, not everyone will achieve these goals, actually, probably only a fraction will, but does that mean we shouldn’t set ambitious goals? I grew up with my mother reading me The Little Train That Could, and if there was one thing that stood out, it wasn’t that trains are powerful machines; it was that with the right attitude and work ethic, anything was possible. I don’t know if my “millennial” peers were fortunate enough to flip through this book, but I think it was a common moral within stories, and thus established as our own.

However, on the other hand, “millennials” have grown up with some poor role models, which may have given us the false perception that a lavish lifestyle is standard in today’s day. The Hills, Sex and the City, and Entourage are all popular shows within my demographic, and the lifestyle maintained is anything but conservative. Frankly, I have noticed a dramatic shift to high-end clothing and accessories among students, even in the short two-year period since I graduated. I think every girl owns at least one Coach clutch/handbag, and guys strut around with Ray-Ban sunglasses on like they’re rock stars. For many, parents pay for university, and if not, loans are acquired, thus making an abundance of money highly accessible to an increasingly materialistic student body. Sean Lyons uses this to explain the surprising (or not so) results of the study – a compelling argument to say the least.

At this point, nobody really knows why students have such high expectations, but what I really want to know is, who cares?! If students want to break the bank on Lululemon pants, or an Ed Hardy T-shirt, that’s fine by me. If they think they’re going to be the next Mark Zuckerberg, who am I to tell them they won’t be? Students will be students, reckless, adventurous, and ambitious, and if it takes them until the age of 25 to realize that the luxuries in life don’t come easy, that’s fine, so long as they learn that valuable lesson. In the meantime, let them think they can, because when the wheels hit the tracks, the true pony will carry the heavy load over the mountain, and the rest will stay at the station.

After spending four years completing his Bachelor of Business Administration in the thriving metropolis of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Dorian decided to explore other major cities around the world. Although sporadic trips were exciting, the novelty of serving double tall lattes faded fast. Thus returning to his native Halifax was a no-brainer, as too was his decision to pursue his passion in advertising. However, when Dorian isn’t crutching around the office, he enjoys relaxing with friends and taking in the best sounds and suds Halifax has to offer. You can find anything from Jazz to House music on his iPod… just not the Jonas Brothers.