Wang Solutions

​The Entitlement Generation: Success is NOT Guaranteed

Entitlement is defined as “having a right to something and/or the amount to which a person has a right.”  Note that the key phrase is “having a right” to something – not “having to earn the right.”

Several comments from my accounting students had prompted me to ponder the word “Entitlement.”  When I asked one student what his 5-year goal was, he replied, “To be a Chief Financial Officer.”  Ah, a very aggressive goal from someone who never showed up to class on time, missed over 22% of classes, could not find his textbook for two weeks, and who hardly turned in any homework assignments and projects. But he was also one of my smartest students who grasped accounting concepts almost immediately.

My response to him was, “How about you locate your accounting book and try to pass my class first?!”  He laughed with a hint of embarrassment. (Maybe this means there is a glimmer of hope for him?!) He ended up receiving a low D – not due to a lack of knowledge on the subject matter, but instead due to his lack of assignment completions, projects, and attendance. Sadly, this “D” will follow him for a long time.

Students do not understand that their Grade Point Average (GPA) is their resume as they accumulate actual job placements and experiences.  A “D” in an upper division course in one’s specific field will hinder a job seeker’s chance of competing with his peers.  Again, unfortunately because he assumed his “smarts” entitled him to a free pass in terms of class requirements, my student acted unwisely and did not advance well in his pursuit of his college degree.

Another case of assumed entitlement happened last year when one of my business major students came to class saying exasperatedly, “I’ve been filling out job applications for the last week and every opening requires that I have 3 to 5 years of experience in my field. How the heck am I going to get that?”  Ah, perhaps there should be an App where you can download 3 to 5 years of experience instantaneously, and voila! it’s added to one’s resume. 

These are sad examples of what our young (future) generation of college students is dealing with. They feel that simply because they’re going to school, they are entitled to jobs for which they have made no effort to prepare – on an educational level and/or on an on-the-job work experience level.  If only they would shut down that video they’ve been playing day and night and instead pick up the textbooks, do the work, and put in the time. Then, and only then, will they have a “chance” to reach their career goals!