When an American turns 18, many doors open. You might go buy a pack of cigarettes, get a tattoo, or purchase a lottery ticket because you can now do any of these things!

Well, legally at least. By definition of United States law, you are now considered an adult. Now you don’t have to have a guardian’s signature for a school trip, and you can go to appointments by yourself because you are not a minor anymore. You can even go to some dance clubs. It sounds liberating! And in many ways it is, but with age comes lots of responsibility.

A lot of kids move out at 18 for college, get jobs or even start families. And when you become independent from your parents (unless you’re Howard Wolowitz), more bills may start appearing. You have to learn how to manage your time and money extremely well in order to make ends meet. After a while, “adulting” isn’t as fun as it’s cracked up to be.

Now, it’s not like the day you turn 18, everything hits you at once. It’s a gradual process. Truth be told, I celebrated this milestone birthday by going to Universal Studios in Florida and gawking over the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. After all, Harry, J.K. Rowling, and I have the same birthday. I rode a bunch of coasters, bought touristy trinkets, and drank butter beer. Is that what you envision an adult doing? Probably not. But it was a fun way to transition from my days as a minor.

In the next few months, I will transition into college life. On August 25^th, I will officially be parting from my parents to live on campus, and I may need to start looking for a part-time job. I will need to start scheduling my own appointments and buying my own food and supplies. While I did go to a residential high school, I will have to manage my time better than ever before to successfully complete my musical and academic courses while allotting enough time for extra-curricular activities, exercising, eating, sleeping, and socializing. It is not impossible to accomplish all of this; students and other young adults do this every day. However, I still have a lot to experience before I fully understand the responsibilities and challenges of being an adult in American society.

One responsibility of being an eighteen year-old that I am fully aware of, however, is my responsibility to vote. Many young people take this right for granted, and if they don’t like the candidates running for office, they simply refuse to get involved. They don’t believe their vote counts in the pool of millions that vote every year. However, being an adult in 2016 is especially crucial to our future. I am sure you all have heard about this upcoming presidential election in November, and it has caused a lot of controversy. This is a particularly puzzling year, because it’s not really about the party or the platform, anymore. It is not even much about politics; it’s about our humanity, our morals, keeping America unified, and not succumbing to fear and hatred. This isn’t a lecture to vote for a particular candidate or trash another; I just encourage you to use your voice as a new adult to contribute to the future of our country. Don’t throw away your vote; there are thousands, even millions, of others who would give up anything to cast a vote but they are ineligible to do so. While voting is a right, it is also a privilege; you must take full advantage of that.

While many new activities and privileges become available to you as an adult, remember a few things. Don’t do anything rash just because you’re eighteen now. If you smoke a cigarette or get a tattoo without giving it much thought, it may have more consequences than benefits. Being an adult gives you many opportunities to make your own decisions, but you must have the self-control to think through them thoroughly and use your rationale to choose as best you can. However, do acknowledge what you must act upon immediately, like voting, taking responsibility for your actions, and managing your time on your own. Do not forget, however, you are not alone in this journey; there are thousands around you struggling to understand what it means to “adult.” By asking questions and applying what we’ve learned from past experiences, we can succeed in our ventures as adults in today’s society.