When we are in High School we are warned about the "real world" and how different it is. We were convinced that for the last 17 years we weren't living in the real world and now that we are about to graduate we are going to be thrust into the hunger games. Well going to college taught me some things about adulting, the first on being that becoming an adult is not as difficult as your high school counselors told you it is.
Money Management. Most schools give students a sort of meal plan and that means they are only allowed to spend so much money in a semester and that means students really have to learn to ration their food money. This taught me that even when you want to buy 3 pieces of pizza and a cookie and a drink, you know that if you do that you're screwing yourself later.
Talking to people. Sales clerks, office people, all of the people you come in contact with everyday. Living in a dorm with strangers really puts your communication skills to the test and I know I have come out of it being able to articulate what I need and want easier than before. Also at school people are going to assume you know what you're doing unless you tell them you don't and that really assists in teaching you how to say whats on your mind.
Time Management. College isn't like high school where you have the same schedule everyday. You have to keep an irregular schedule in check, make sure you have done whatever homework that you have for that class before the next time you meet, and during exams you have a lot to study for and don't have time to chit chat and hang out and waste time. College really taught me that there is a time and a place for everything, and that just getting something done as soon as you can is always your best bet.
Priorities. Because you have so many classes throwing assignments and tests at you all of the time, you have to get good at deciding which of these is going to take the most time, which is the most difficult, which is due the soonest, and then figure out a plan of attack for all of your homework. And after all that is done you do the other things like grocery shopping, or hanging out with friends, etc.
Hygiene. Living in a dorm where there are no parents to keep your cleanliness in check is a real wake up call. You have to do your own laundry, your own dishes, tidy your desk, make your bed, all without the help or nudge of a guardian. It sounds easy until its been three weeks since you have done your laundry and you're out of toilet paper and shampoo and you woke up late and have a test in 20 minutes and you have nothing to wear and can't shower before hand. Thats when you realize you're on your own.
Getting used to being a team of one. In college you have to handle all of your everyday hassles alone. When you need help from a teacher you ask, when you need to go to one of the many offices you have to find it and deal with that yourself, when you need to go to the store, the bank, the doctor, all of those are going to be just you. You become better at getting through the adult problems that your parents would normally help you with.
College really taught me that being an adult isn't scary, its just different. Its a lot more tedious than being a child but its also pretty rewarding. When you tackle something bug without your parents help you feel on top of the world. Just remember that you aren't expected to go from being a child to a full fledge grown up, its a process, a transition. You have to allow yourself to ease out of adolescence and into adulthood. Let it happen at your own pace.
