This document discusses generational characteristics with a focus on Millennials. It defines a generation as those born within a 20 year period who experience formative events together between ages 10-18. Millennials are defined as those born between 1982-2002. Critical events during their formative years included 9/11, wars in the Middle East, school shootings, and the rise of technology and social media. The document outlines characteristics of Millennials including being civic-minded, ambitious, pressured, and team-oriented. It also discusses how they approach academics, social life, technology, and expectations of rules and authority.

1. Millennials
Kaitlin Heenehan
Jordan King
Residential Leadership Community
11.27.12

2. Quiz

3. What is a generation?
“Peer personality”- shared events in formative
years (ages 10-18) have impact
“We are what we experienced together”
“ A generation is also defined as a series of
birth cohorts who share a common location in
history and a common peer persona that
reflects their collective identity as well as a
sense of having shared experiences” (Strauss
in Lowery, 2001)

4. Current Generations
Birth Years
O Civic (“GI”)- 1901-1924
O Adaptive (“Silent”)- 1925-1942
O Idealist (“Boomer”)- 1943- 1960
O Reactive (“Gen X”)- 1961-1981
O Civic (Millennials or Gen Y)- 1982-2002
O Adaptive (Homeland, Gen Z)- 2003-
current

5. A Timeline of
Generations of College Students
*Note: Those born from 2003 – present are now being considered part
of the “Homeland Generation,” the next Adaptive generation

6. Millennials…aka…
• Echo Boom • Generation Tech
• Generation Y • Boomer Babies
• Generation Next
• Generation Why?
• Digital Generation
• Net Generation • Generation.com
• Y2 Kids • Generation 2000
• Generation 9/11 • Generation XX
• Tell All • The Therapy
Generation Generation
6

7. Critical events, factors, trends in their
formative years (1992 – present)
• 9/11/2001 (The Fourth • Bush vs. Gore Election
Turning?) • Wars (Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq,
• Clinton, Bush, & Obama etc.)
• School Violence (Columbine, • Death of Princess Diana
Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, • OJ Simpson Trial
etc.) • Rodney King Riots
• Terrorism and Tragedies • Monica Lewinsky scandal
(Tsunami, Katrina, Haiti, etc.) • Capture of Saddam Hussein
• Computers • Death of Osama bin Laden
• The Internet • Government overthrows in
Egypt, Libya, etc.
• Social Networking • Economic collapses
• McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds • The “Occupy” Movement
• Polarization of society
7

8. Characteristics of Millennials
Mainly from the CIRP (Cooperative
Institutional Research Program) study done
by HERI (Higher Education Research
Institute) at UCLA

9. Academics
Philosophy for education
Challenges
O Arrive late, skip, or leave early
O Sleep in class or are bored in class
O Spend less than 10 hours per week
studying
O Text/Tweet/Surf in Class
O Disrupt class with cell phone use

10. Social Activism
O Civic Minded
O More volunteerism in high school
O Local and Global

11. Pressure
O Overwhelmed and depressed
O Physical Appearance/Modesty
O Ambitious and driven to achieve
O 76% rate their drive to achieve above
average
O 73% see chief benefit of college as
increasing earning power

12. Parental Involvement
“The ways students learned to fend for
themselves developmentally-by building up
problem-solving skills and coping skills-
have been undermined with the attention to
supporting them and the immediate contact
with parents at all times.”
(Denise Hayes, President of the
Association for University and College
Counseling Center Dirs.)

14. Social Life
O Too busy
O Fear intimacy
O Avoid traditional dating (travel in
groups/packs)
O Casual sexual relationships (not
emotional)

15. Technology
O Advanced competency
O Frustrations with other generations

16. High Expectations
O Expect high (often unrealistic) “customer
service”
O Expectations of faculty, staff
O Want things right now (or 5 minutes ago!)

17. Team-oriented
O Like to work in groups
O Travel in packs

18. Follow the rules
O Not linked with morality
O About not getting caught
O 70% of college students admit to cheating
at least once (Center for Academic
Integrity)

19. Group Work
Millennials LOVE working in groups!! 
Task:
If you could redefine the millennial
generation, what would you keep and what
would you throw away?

20. The Lost Generation
https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=42E2fAWM6rA

21. Civic-minded
O Return to this part of the generation cycle
O Believe they can change the world
O Optimistic about future

22. Now what?
How can we work with other generations
and help them understand us?

23. References
Lowery, J.W. (2001). The millennials come to campus: John
Wesley Lowery talks to William Strauss. About Campus, Jul.
– Aug., 6-12.
Pryor, J.H. (2010). The American freshman: National Norms for
Fall 2010. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute,
UCLA.
Spencer, E. (2011). Understanding and working with the
millennials. Blacksburg, VA.
Strauss, W. & Howe, N. (1992) Generations: The history of
America’s future, 1584 to 2069. New York: Morrow.
Strauss, W., & Howe, N. (1997). The fourth turning: An American
prophecy. New York: Broadway Books.

24. Questions?
Feel free to email us too if you have follow
up questions!
kheenehan@vt.edu
jtking@vt.edu