As national optimism sinks to its lowest level in nearly two decades, Seton Hall students are balancing anxiety about politics, affordability and the job market with personal hope, ambition and resilience.

A 2025 Gallup poll found that just 59.2% of American adults expect to live high-quality lives in the next five years, marking the lowest figure since the survey began nearly 20 years ago.  Ratings fell 3.5% from 2024 and dropped 9.1% since 2020. The study included interviews from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

With optimism waning nationwide, it raises the question of what the newest adults’ perspective of their futures are.

A New York Times article identified four major concerns shaping college students’ outlooks: affordability, relationships, the job market and politics. For many SHU students, these same pressures loom large, influencing how they envision their futures.

For some students, career uncertainty and rising living costs weigh heavily.

Raphael Rivera, a senior data analytics and information technology major, rated his optimism at  three out of ten.

“These companies I’m applying to are not getting back to me,” Rivera said. “I think it’s across the generation, because I saw a report that said 41% of recent Gen Z graduates are unemployed, which is spooky.”

In December 2025, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that while the unemployment rate for recent graduates stood at 5.3%, the underemployment rate–working in jobs that do not require college degrees–was around 41%.

Rivera said financial pressure compounds the stress.

“I work part-time right now, and I realized being in a career like retail will not cut it for me personally,” Rivera said. “Knowing I have to pay for insurance and debt alongside all of my expenses, it’s a lot.”