College can be a terrifying, eye-opening, and exciting experience. Depending on what you’re into, college can be one of the best times of your life. However, the days and months leading up to that first day of classes can be hectic and emotional. The process can be somewhat difficult and, even though a reason to grieve usually isn’t involved, we all go through some sort of grieving process. The loss of your childhood bedroom, the new experience of living with a stranger, and learning to study like an actual adult can be…interesting. The emotional toll it takes can be quite immense. The five stages of grief, although usually applied to deaths, are oddly excellent at describing this emotional journey towards adulthood.
1. Denial.
“How on earth am I an adult now?! How did this happen?! I am not an adult. I am a child. I did not sign up for doing my own laundry, feeding myself, and living somewhere without my siblings. What is this?”
Ah, yes, the process of realizing you’re an adult and then promptly denying it. Honestly, growing up is a trap and the longer we deny it, the longer we can stay children. Right? No.
2. Anger.
“Fan-freaking-tastic, I’m adult. How on earth am I supposed to do this? What the actual heck, people?! How dare you expect me to do adult things and take care of myself! I am not cut out for this and how dare you assume I am.”
See? We can’t stay children and when we finally accept the fact that we are indeed independent adults with actual responsibilities, we just can’t deal with it. Blame the world, go ahead. No one will judge you. You’re allowed to be angry. After all, what can you do about it?
3. Bargaining.
“Maybe I can defer a year and just stay with my parents. Hopefully I can make a deal with them so I can pay them rent and just take classes at the local college. Yeah, that might work. I mean, I can always get my degree later, right?”
Ah, yes, negotiation. That always gets you the winning prize, doesn’t it? We can just wiggle out of our responsibilities as productive members of society and stay at home just a little longer. You'll get out the house someday…right?
4. Depression.
“Now I have to move away and leave my friends. And I have all of these things to do and I have classes. This honestly sucks. I don’t want to leave! I want to stay here. I want to just stay home and do my own thing.”
Here’s where you have an existential crisis and hide in your room with an old photo album, reminiscing and crying over your childhood. Have fun! It won’t be your last.
5. Acceptance.
“Well, I have to go sometime! Might as well be now. This might actually be pretty great. Who knows, maybe I’ll love it. Maybe I won’t want to come back. Why was I so hesitant before?”
Finally. You finally got your head on straight and are realizing how stupid those other emotions were. Here you go, off to university to learn new things about yourself and others. Have a blast! This is a once in a lifetime kind of experience.
