Major life hurdles

As we enter each different phase of life, we tackle issues critical to each stage. Here are what I believe to be the major topics of each phase in life (in pseudo order of importance).

Middle school/high school
Social
○Finding a group of friends to hang out with
○Wearing the right clothes, watching the right shows, saying the right things and working hard to be part of the in crowd
○ Persuading parents to let you go to the movies, the dinner, the school dance
○ Asking and getting asked to the formal dances
Emotional
○ First experiences of love and lust
○ First rejections and losses
○ Learning to understand the opposite sex
Physical
○ Dealing with body image and physical changes from puberty
○ Coping with social pressures on the range of bulimia, anorexia, body building, etc.
Intellectual
○ College application and decision processes
§ Doing well in school
§ Succeeding in extracurricular activities (sports, community service, leadership, music, arts, etc.)
§ Mastering standardized tests (SATs, APs, etc.)
○ Future life questions
§ Deciding concentration/college major questions
§ Addressing issues of what you want do with your life

College
Intellectual
○ Concentration issues become more paramount if one is still undecided
○ Considering careers and graduate school options
§ Recruiting process for jobs
§ Applications for graduate school
○ Having productive summer vacations
§ Internships, study abroad, research programs, volunteer causes
Physical
○ Learning about your body and understanding it's needs
○ A continuation of body image questions
Emotional
○ Engaged in more serious relationships
○ Or less serious exploration and one night stands
Social
○ Finding a group to explore bars and clubs
○ Finding a group of life long friends

Post-College/First Job
Emotional
○ Pressure to start finding your long term partner in life begins--this becomes the topic of conversation for friends and a concern of parents/family
Intellectual
○ Keeping that first job (esp. during recession) and doing well
○ Living independently by securing apartments, paying bills, filing taxes, creating savings, etc.
○ Deciding on graduate school and applications if applicable
Social
○ Friends mostly set, not too much angst anymore
Physical
○ Learned to appreciate body, though not necessarily happy with it


Aside: I'm so sick of hearing about the depreciating asset theory.