That old folk wisdom about how your uni/college days are the best days of your life is confirmed by analysis of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), as reported in a new briefing paper released today:

The period between their late teens and early 20s is a particularly happy time for young people. They are finishing school and embarking on early work experiences or post-school study.The majority of them are still living at home and enjoying their social lives.This is also a time when young people’s satisfaction with their future and their level of independence begin to grow.

By age 25, young people are less happy with their social life, home life, and career prospects and work. This may be related to unmet expectations or not having a satisfying career. Data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey indicate that this downward trend in life satisfaction continues beyond age 25.

It seems to me that we need to prepare our young people much better for life’s ups and downs. Personally I’d recommend that our Education department adds Stephen Covey’s brilliant guide to living well, the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, to the senior school curriculum.