Being 20 seems like an easy age. You are not fully an adult yet. Bills are not stresser, I get to rely on my parents, I only have to take care of myself, and school is easy. Why is this a conception people have of me being because I am so young? I am told not to stress out, that I “have it easy”.

This article is not to come across as complaining, but inform those that see my life as just beginning or easy because I do not have much to worry about. I really do have a lot to worry about. As a soon to be undergraduate I am dealing with a lot of things at school. I am taking 23 semester hours. The average is around 16. These hours do not consist of easy classes. I am taking 400 level classes, mostly Political Science classes, which keep me constantly busy doing work or reading material. I never have a moment to not think about school.

Not only am I making sure I am staying on top of my class work I am preparing for Graduate school. I have to make sure my resume looks good, I have a great personal statement, my recommendations are there, and I have to study for the LSAT. The LSAT takes up a lot of my time because I have to study a lot to make sure I make a good enough score for the graduate schools I wish to get into. This is beyond stressful.

On top of school I work three jobs. I work at two different restaurants as a waitress. I work about three or four shifts that last anywhere from three to seven hours. Almost everyday I go and pick up a little girl after my classes and babysit her for about two hours. I make sure she does her homework, learns something new, and is full. I work so much because I like to have money and be independent to a certain degree.

I do have to worry about bills and such. I am fortunate though that some of my bills are covered generously from family, but that is to help me out in the long run. I pay for half of my rent, some bills, and for extra food that is not covered by school. As for my car, I pay for ALL of that. While I am lucky enough to have parents to help me out when I need it, I paid for my car. I also pay for my gas and insurance.

Not only do I take care of myself, but also I take care of two dogs. My boyfriend and I have two dogs. We buy them food and toys, take them out constantly, and groom them. They are a huge responsibility to look after but I love them to pieces.. My boyfriend and I treat each other too. We take each other out to eat, buy surprise gifts, and make sure each other is okay.

As previously stated I am not writing this article to complain, but rather to inform those that think being 20 is easy. I feel like this has been my hardest year yet. Some might say that it is my own doing for being so busy, and you are correct. However, I have to work to pay bills and have money. I am taking so many classes so I can graduate and pursue Law School. I have to pursue graduate school so I can get the job I want in the end. It is really one big circle and I have accepted the fact that I need to do all these things, but I hate being told that it is easy, because it is not.