Can we look at this from a positive perspective? This might be the best thing for these 1,000 or so bachurim whose plans were suddenly upended. My guess is that most of them (like most humans) had a certain life plan about how everything will fall into place; I will go to x yeshiva in Eretz yisroel for 2 years, get married to y type girl after dating for 2 months, my laws will support me with $_____ per month, I will stay in kollel for z years and then go into the shver’s business, I will have ____ kids and settled down in Lakewood in ____ neighborhood etc. Suddenly they get a lesson in life that life does not work that way. This is an incredible opportunity for every single one of these bachurim to turn off the autopilot and ask themselves questions like
“What are my goals for my yeshiva life and how will I accomplish them?”
“How much of my growth in Yeshiva comes from those outside of me (Rabbeim, cahveirim) and how much must come from within?”
“Is it possible that I have taken for granted my life as a yeshiva bachur with little/no responsibilities? If so what can I do to change that?”
“How will I adjust to life after yeshiva/kollel?”
“Am I really in yeshiva to “learn how to learn” and if so how will I know if I have achieved that? Maybe I should focus on just learning?”
“What do I hope to gain from my Rabbeim? Do I really need them to tell me which ketzos to look up? If I do not have that does that really mean I am lost?”
“If I ca not learn without another few hundred people in the same room as me what will happen after yeshiva?”
“Am I getting closer to Hashem in yeshiva? How? What is different now?”
“Do I have a plan for parnassa when I get married? Is there something I can do now to explore or experiment with that? Take college courses, itern in a certain business etc.”
What am I doing to take achrayus for klal Yisrael? Is there something I can do now to explore if perhaps I can have a future career in serving klal Yisrael full time instead of as a hobby or to lay guilt?”
Syag- I think your boys are a very rare exception. Everyone else can chime in but I don’t think most bachurim are self-supportive and cook their own meals at age 22. Does anyone disagree? BTW, going out to the pizza shop or burger joint with your parent’s credit card is not called preparing your own meals.