The purpose of preschool is to prepare a child for kindergarten. The purpose of elementary school is to prepare a child for middle school or junior high. The purpose of middle school is to prepare a teenager for high school and then finally they tell you again that the sole purpose of high school is to prepare a young adult for college, the workforce, or wherever the real world takes them. This being said, why is it that I'm a graduated senior and feel less prepared than I ever have in my whole entire life?
I have exceeded my requirements for high school. I have participated in numerous clubs. I graduated in the top ten percent of my class, I can even find the slope of a line, recite to you the order of events in a cell cycle, and give you an essay with flawless MLA citations. Is this what it means to be an adult? Does this mean I am ready for the real world? I think not. Matter of fact, I know not.
They give you seventeen years of dependency and then suddenly as soon as eighteen comes around you are officially an adult. It is you who must find out the meaning of life, the myth behind this world we live in, and you must do it on your own. It's funny how I've spent my whole life figuring out ways to grow up quicker and be more independent, and as soon as I get my chance I am shocked and confused on what this world has to offer and how I want to go about it.
I've been told I'm mature. I get things done. I am a leader. I am fit for this harsh world, and that all seems about right until I realize I still sleep with a pretty twinkling night light that shines brightly at dawn in my room. It keeps me safe from the monsters underneath my bed. But it's okay, right? Because at least I know how to solve a quadratic formula. I also don't know how to ride a bike, how to do taxes, how to vote, or how to pay bills. But once again, I am an adult because I can without a doubt, and at any time tell you the Pythagorean Theorem.
While high school hasn't taught me much, it has left me with a few valuable concepts. I have learned to cope with people who have different beliefs, views, and opinions. More importantly, I have learned when and where to tame my tongue towards opposing lifestyles.
With all that being said, here I am, a bright-eyed and newly announced adult who is filled with aspirations and wants to change the world. I may not have everything figured out and I may be the least bit prepared for what life is going to throw me. But what I do know is that I will eventually solve this big and complicated world. So, while I may sleep with a night light and occasionally fear the boogie man, this life as an adult may not get any easier, but it'll be a little less dark and easier for me to conquer.
