Collegiate life is partially about transitioning into adulthood. It’s supposed to be when eager students move away from home for the first time, learn how to live with roommates and gain responsibility and work ethic—a type of motivation that can land a great job.

Of course, college is important for the obvious reasons—it provides technical training in a career of choice, a well-rounded education and preparation for the real world—but what happens when students have a hard time learning those vital life skills before graduating?

In a study conducted by York College of Pennsylvania titled “Professionalism in the Workplace,” a sample of 520 professionals, including 418 individuals in human resources, answered a survey about how prepared college graduates are for the workplace.

The findings exhibited many of those professionals feel recent graduates lack the skills and work ethic needed to succeed in the real workplace, attributing much of that to the way higher institutions prepare students.

Of the sample surveyed, 33.2 percent said they feel professionalism has eroded during the past five years and 25.3 percent blamed it on graduates’ sense of entitlement. What is even more apparent is that 97.6 percent said colleges are responsible for prepping students for the real world.

This means colleges need to better prepare young people for the reality they are going to face post graduation. Students should seek this training through internships or part-time positions in their respective field.

Educators need to remember the current generation grew up in a different world than they did. It’s not that life is easier now, it’s just different. Technology has instilled a bit of laziness or sense of instant gratification, which is harmful when entering the competitive workforce. This is because the job market doesn’t leave room for insubordinate attitudes or entry-level employees expecting quick promotions, salary raises and high levels of recognition. Bosses are the ones who should get respect.

At the same time, some students need to stop having prima donna attitudes while in the classroom or in part-time positions. It’s especially important to practice professionalism in a working environment that revolves around their future career. Many of the contacts made in college will be colleagues out of college. Perhaps one of those people will be in a hiring position as well.

What happens if someone displays a deplorable attitude every day in class or at work? People around them are going to take notice and realize that person isn’t someone they would want to be around or work with. People who don’t practice reality in college will receive a severe slap in the face when they graduate because some antics simply won’t be tolerated in the real world.

It’s a generational-related problem, for sure. But colleges need to set the standard and stop letting students misbehave in scenarios that would never be tolerated in the workforce. Additionally, students need to practice professionalism so our generation can stop getting bad reviews about our work ethic and capabilities.