In most cases, anyone over the age of 18 years old is considered an “adult” under the law. Once you turn 21, you’re able to legally drink and purchase alcohol, furthering your “adult-ness.” However, being an adult is much more than just how old you are. Being an adult is hard… much harder than most of us realize prior to suddenly becoming one.

Here are 10 struggles you’ll have when trying to “adult” properly:

1. Doing laundry. Before we were forced into the adult lifestyle, laundry was foreign to most of us. Hot water or cold water? Lights or darks? It’s all a big question mark the first few times around, but you’ll eventually get the hang of it after Googling it a few times.

2. Grocery shopping. Got food? Probably not… so you’ll have to learn to take on the ever-so-dreaded grocery store alone. Let’s just say going up and down the aisles as a kid was a lot more fun than it is now. Oh, and the food is a lot pricier than you remember, too.

3. Budgeting your money. You may be an adult, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have a lot of money saved. Unfortunately, it does most likely mean that you have a lot of things you need to pay for, so start planning accordingly. Greaaat.

4. Cooking. Okay, so you went grocery shopping… now what? Better start looking on Pinterest for recipes. Contrary to prior belief, you can’t live off of Ramen noodles for the rest of your life – it’s time to learn how to fend for yourself.

5. Scheduling your own appointments. This part of “adulting” was definitely overlooked, but be prepared to call your dentist to schedule your next six month checkup. While no one actually wants to admit it, scheduling your own appointments sounds terrifying because your parents have always done it for you. Now it’s your turn – here’s to growing up!

6. Cleaning. Living on your own means picking up after yourself… and often times others, too. “Helping out around the house” is a thing of the past – you’re fully responsible now. Bring on the stained carpets, dirty bathrooms, and crumb-covered counter tops.

7. Managing your time. As adult, balancing your commitments is easier said than done. You have a lot of responsibilities with a limited amount of time, which means opportunities for personal time and a social life are few and far between. Managing what you have to do with what you want to do will always be challenging.

8. Taking care of yourself when you’re sick. There’s nothing you want more when you’re sick than your mom, but it’s not always necessarily possible when you’re an adult. It’s pretty hard to take care of yourself when you can’t get out of bed, but again - it's all just a part of growing up.

9. Having to wake up early. Being an adult means sleeping in just does not happen. Getting up early and going to bed late is a serious struggle, but it’s something that will become easier as time goes on. Your alarm clock is your new best friend.

10. Censoring yourself. In order to complete your adult persona, you’ll need to think twice before you speak. Being mature isn’t easy when you have to censor your everyday lingo and actions, but your efforts won’t go unnoticed. Other adults will respect you, and you’ll fit in better.

If you can master all of this - congrats, you're well on your way to being a "real" adult!