I've always thought of myself as more mature than some of the people my age. And this wasn't really specifically my own observation, but rather the typical statement of those around me, and often my family and friends.

This has been a statement made to me not just in my recent years. I believe it was first told to me around early high school (because, let's be honest, we're all very immature before then. Don't even get me started about middle school).

However, I did not fully come to outright and completely agree with how mature I was for my age until just recently. Until I came to college - where they say you actually step into the first stepping stones of adulthood.

I don't know about for everyone else, but for me, when I came to college my whole life changed. And I really mean that as literally as one can take it.

I basically made all new friends, changed my way of life, and was essentially forced to create a new life for myself. I did not anticipate this in the slightest.

Sure, I knew stepping out into college was going to be a change. But I did not realize how much so.

I basically thought I would be living the same life, just 200 some miles away from where I did it before.

How wrong I was.

When I came to college, everything about my life as I knew it began to slowly change. Some for the good, yes of course, but others were a big slap in the face to me and constituted huge struggles on my end.

I can't speak for everyone, obviously. But I believe coming into college and early adulthood is where we are forced to grow up - to a big extent. It's not all about partying and meeting new people while basically keeping everything else the same. It completely shapes you who are and who you will become.

You realize just how close you are to fully stepping out on your own into "the real world." You realize just how soon you need to figure out what you want to do with your life. You realize life really isn't just about having fun and having no worries. You realize how independent you are (or need to be). You realize and experience true struggles that come along with the terrifying process of growing up.

Not to say that struggles didn't exist before college, as we all know we had our fair share then. But I believe you're truly dealt some difficult cards during your early adult years that forces you to face adversity. And how you face and conquer it shapes you into the person you are to become.

Becoming an adult and growing up, you're forced to leave many "creature comforts" behind. Both in objects and in some cases, people. You have a new living environment. Your new bed may not have that one perfectly comfortable spot that your one at home has. You're forced to live life without your parents holding your hand through it all. You live away from your family dog. You may have to part ways, for good, with your first love (as I did). You are forced to deal with real life hardships. You are forced to step out on your own and, essentially, start a new life. You are forced to really mature.

You leave behind your innocence. You leave behind your dependability. You leave behind your irresponsibility. You leave behind your immaturity.

All of these things and more come along with adulthood. And while some of these things are harder to accept and deal with than others, they all result, in one way or another, in strengthening you as a person. Trust this. It may be hard to leave certain things in your past, and you may not want to (as I didn't), but believe that it is for the betterment of yourself. The adversities we face as we head into adulthood are as important as they are troubling, although it may be hard to see in the moment. If you are meant to leave something, or someone, behind as you head into the next chapter of your life, believe it is for the best. Something better is coming. There is something much better for you out there.

What is important will stay with you. Leave behind what is meant to be left. The rest will fall into place.