Transcript Millennial Student (The Next Generation)

Wyoming Conference of Municipal Courts
The Strengths and Challenges of the
“Next Generation” Student and
Lawyer
N. Denise Burke
Assistant Dean
University of Wyoming College of Law
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Presentation Objective:
Develop knowledge and understanding of
the skills and challenges presented by
today’s law students, new attorneys and
anyone born in the “next generation.”
In case you’re worried about what’s going
to become of the younger generation, it’s
going to grow up and start worrying
about the younger generation.”
-Roger Allen
Generational Identifiers:
What are their characteristics?
 What are their expectations?
 How can you meet their expectations?
 How can you better communicate with
them?
 Who are they?
 Note: time frames are not exact so
individuals in one generational group
may resemble another generation

Remember: When You Were Born
Affects Who You Are
VALUES
Early years mold your values.
 ATTITUDES
Values shape your attitude.
 CHOICES
Attitude determines your choices.

The Generational Cycle
Represent people “moving through time”
with a distinct image of themselves
 Historical events and social perspectives
shape subsequent generations
 Each generation has a set of common
beliefs and behaviors
 Each generation has a common location
in history

COMMON GENERATIONAL LABELS
GI/Veteran
 Silent/Traditionalist
 Baby Boomers
 Generation X
 Millennials

1901 – 1924
1925 – 1942
1943 - 1964
1965 - 1979
1980 - Today
Quick Quiz #1
How well do you know the
generations?
Which generation are you?
What generation is this?

More likely to live in two-income household.
 May have children at home and caring for
elder parents
 Have the basic feeling of security
 More likely than others to focus on
education
 Believe hard work and time will ultimately
reward you
 88.8% of this generation completed high
school
Baby Boomers
What generation is this?
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This group was born at a time when it was
considered natural and appropriate for
families to have large numbers of children
This generation married early in life
This generation are about 95% retired at
this point in time
This group was during the Great
Depression
Silent/MatureGeneration
What generation is this?

This group grew up during the post
Watergate era and the energy crisis.
 These children experienced a higher rate
of divorce and nontraditional families
 Many were latchkey kids who were
raised on electronic media (television,
Atari 2600s)
 As parents, they demand accountability
Generation X
What generation is this?
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Sheltered; parents very involved
Have experienced a positive
economy throughout school years
Grew up on kid safety rules,
lockdown of public schools,
national youth safety movement
Technological sophistication
Entering adulthood later in life
Millennial Generation
Why this subject is so important?
Academic training and programs
 Impact on the law, law enforcement,
and judiciary
 Civic programs & strategies
 Communication
 Customer service
 Technology
 Parental Involvement at all levels

Demographics of Today’s UW Law
Student
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Age range: 21-64; Median age: 26.4
Gender split: 51% male, 49% female
34 different majors: Accounting to Zoology
38 undergraduate institutions
Originate from 17 states, 4 countries
>800 applications for admission; incoming
class of 75-80
>85% take class notes on laptop computers
>90% take final exams on computers
Who are the Millennials?

Born in or after 1982
 Presently 80 million in number (largest
group); increased life expectancy
 Oldest entered college Fall of 2000,
entered law school Fall of 2004,
graduated law school Spring 2007
 3 most popular names:
Males
Michael
Jason
Christopher
Females
Jennifer
Jessica
Ashley
Events That Made An Impression
 9-11
 Columbine
 Oklahoma
City Bombing
 Princess Di’s death
 O.J. Simpson Trial
 Rodney King riots
Defining Characteristics
Conventional
 Confident
 “Special”
 Sheltered
 Self-Assured
 Stressed
 Achieving

Team-oriented
 Racially diverse
 Extremely close with
parents
 Savvy with
technology
 Less interested in
humanities

MILLENNIALS ARE:
SPECIAL
 SHELTERED
 CONFIDENT
 TEAM-ORIENTED
 ACHIEVING
 PRESSURED
 CONVENTIONAL
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MILLENNIALS ARE SPECIAL
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Generation of “wanted” children
Central to their parents’ sense of purpose
Many Boomer parents delayed having children
until financially secure
Boomer parents – “helicoptor parents”- swoop
in to save the day for their special child
Gen-X parents – “stealth-fighter parents”
You may not see them, but always one text
away from changing the child’s choice
MILLENNIALS ARE SHELTERED
Baby on Board signs were created for
this generation
 Their well being has dominated
legislation (child restraints, home
products, movie/video ratings, campus
security)
 Boomer parents tend to be overprotective; GenX parents want
accountability

MILLENNIALS ARE CONFIDENT
Raised by parents believing in the
importance of self-esteem
 Optimistic yet practical
 Hopeful of the future
 Enjoy strong connections with their
parents; delaying entering the “adult
workforce”

MILLENNIALS ARE TEAMORIENTED
They are used to being organized in
teams
 They have spent much of their time
working and learning in groups
 They have established tight peer bonds
 They are inclusive: less concerned with
sexual orientation, socio-economic
status, racial/ethnic boundaries

MILLENNIALS ARE ACHIEVING
They are very much into setting and
meeting goals
 They have the benefit of best-educated
parents
 They are the smartest ever with rising
proficiency in math, science and
standardized tests; some experts
challenge their depth of knowledge
 They are subject to mandatory testing
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MILLENNIALS ARE PRESSURED
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They are pushed to study hard
They are pushed to succeed
They are pushed to attend college
They are pushed to choose careers that “pay
off” nicely
They want to get the grade regardless of the
knowledge acquired
Parents want them to have perfect set of
courses, degrees, skills, & contacts for
material advantage.
MILLENIALS ARE
CONVENTIONAL
They identify with their parents’ values
 They feel close to their parents
 They are “rule followers” (if we give them
clear rules they can understand)
 They accept authority
 “Whatever” – passive approach to
dissent
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OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
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Technology and Multitasking are a way of life:
cell phone, instant message, I-pod tunes, and
computer research all while doing homework.
Trial and error is the key learning strategy
(Nintendo logic)
They are used to bits and bytes, flash and
color
They are racially and ethnically diverse
They want their parents involved (really
involved)
There is zero tolerance for delays
The Millennial Student
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Exposure and/or
experimentation with
“grown up” activity
 Exposure to vast
information but less indepth understanding
 Different patterns of
social connection and
intimacy
 Increasingly high levels
of stress and anxiety
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Technology proficiency
 Part-time employment
 Ambitious but unrealistic
expectations
 Aware of campus and
community rules,
regulations and political
correctness. However,
see it as a challenge to
find a way around the
rule.
Growing Up “Messages”
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Be smart – you are special (Nickelodeon,
Baby Gap, Sports Illustrated for Kids)
Leave no one behind (taught to be inclusive
and tolerant of other religions and sexual
orientations)
Connect 24/7 (learned to be interdependenton family, friends, and teachers)
Achieve now! (right college, right preschool)
Serve your community – think of the greater
good but not necessarily politically active
What is your MIQ?
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Who are Posh, Scary, Ginger, Baby and Sporty?
SPICE GIRLS
 Who got “Jiggy wit it?”
WILL SMITH
 In what sport does Tony Hawk compete?
SKATE BOARDING
What are the real names?
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Shaq
SHAQUILLE O’NEIL
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MJ
MICHAEL JORDON
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Stone Cold
STEVE AUSTIN
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J-Lo
JENNIFER LOPEZ
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P. Diddy
SHAWN COMBS
Can you speak Millennial?
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Flashy or Glitzy
Bling Bling
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Hot Rod
Ride or Hooptie
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Sneakers
Shox
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Hunk/Stud/Babe
Hottie
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Girlfriend/Boyfriend
Boo
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Cool/Awesome
Sweeeeet!
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Thongs
Flip Flop
The Greatest Influence
PARENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Millennial Parent Characteristics
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Idealist
 Passionate
 Protective
 Involved
 Concerned
 Intelligent
 Demanding
 Prioritize education
 Want
structure,supervision,
and feedback
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Knowledgeable about
college experience
Sense of entitlement
 high cost of attendance
 regard for student as
children, not adults
Basic concerns are priority
Expect to be involved from
admission to graduation
(to infinity and beyond…)
Parental Affect
Reflect parent values
 Trust their parents
 Programmed
 Decisions are made for them
 Aim to please authority figures
 Celebrated
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Ways to Equip Yourself for
Millennials
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Be aware of generational differences and influences.
Know your generation’s strengths and weaknesses
as well as those of the other generations.
Become more computer savvy.
Seek their technical expertise.
Acknowledge the value and limitations of multitasking.
Set reasonable timelines and stick with them. Things
do not have to be immediate in spite of their
demanding such.
Acknowledge differing communication styles.
INTERNET USAGE
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Informational vs. Transactional
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Our usage vs. Millennials’ usage:
-we use internet for info they use it for
recreation, “connectivity” and transactions
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Legal research and writing
-interesting issues re plagiarism, attribution,
and credibility of sources
ONLINE HABITS AND BEHAVIOR
The younger the student, the more
internet and computer savvy
 82% are online daily
 Multitasking is routine.
 Facebook, MySpace and social networks
are common place.
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Millennials Information Preferences
Information must be individually tailored
 Immediacy and convenience are top
priorities
 Portability of information is critical (web
portals)
 Content must be dynamically generated
 ‘Lag Time’ is a foreign concept
 Web Surfing is passé
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WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS
INFORMATION?
Know your clients, personnel
- trend watching; polls
 Determine your solution
 If you have a web site is it up to date?
- mobility, uniqueness, interactivity
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1 - Mobility
Mobile Web Sites
 Personal Digital Assistants (PDA)
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Palm
 Pocket PC
 Smart phones
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2 - Uniqueness
Look no further than your own
browser…they want at least the
appearance of interpersonal
communication
 Content delivery must be relevant,
custom tailored, personally welcoming
 Websites should anticipate the
questions not wait for the inquiry.
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3 - Interactivity
Interactive communication and letters
 Interactive calculators and estimators
 Interactive forms and electronic
signatures
 Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) forms are not
interactive, but may be first step.
Remember: Millennials value
communication and time above all else.
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3 – Interactivity (cont’d)
Engage with technology – teach with
content
 Extend your customer service model
(FAQs, email, phone, instant
messaging) Do you have a process for
handling incoming e-mail?
 How can current system be improved by
incorporating their value system?
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Educational Issues
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Diversity of needs, experiences and
backgrounds
Expectation that education is holistic and
complete, not just fact-based
Increased high school drop-out and failure rates
Poor class participation
Typically under-prepared for class
Need specific direction and guidance
“The number one thing to realize with the
Millennials is that as a whole they reflect
much more parental perfectionism than any
generation in living memory. Colleges and
universities should know that they are not
just getting a kid, but they are also getting
a parent.”
William Strauss
Author, Millennials Rising
Why?
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Violent Crime is down 60%-70%
 Student crimes shrank from 3.4 million to 1.4 million
from 1992-2004, while teen population grew by 5.4
million
 Teen pregnancy is down nationwide
 Teen smoking decreased by 40% in 1995-2005
 Engaged in community service
 Tolerant - everyone is part of community
 See themselves as successful
 Overall attitude of build up not tear down; bullying not
allowed or tolerated
Contrary to popular belief….
“They will recast the image of youth from
downbeat and alienated to upbeat and
engaged.”
“The reason people blame things on
previous generations is that there’s
only one other choice.”
-Doug Larson
References and Resources
Motivating the “What’s in it if for Me?”
Workforce (Cam Marston)
 Millennials Rising: The Next Generation
(Neil Howe & William Strauss)
 Millennial Child: Transforming Education in
the Twenty-First Century (Eugene
Schwartz)
 “Parents: Relax” Time Magazine, April 9,
2007, (John Cloud)
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