By the time you reach the wonderful age where you head off to college, you gradually become more exposed to what it means to be independent in the real world—and it’s not too pretty.

1. Picking a major can be stressful.

Unless you are one of the few who already have an entire life plan worked out, deciding on a major is quite the process. Ultimately, it is the choice for what field you are getting yourself into for the rest of your life (no big deal). There are so many factors that come into play when making this decision:

• What you’re passionate about
• What skills you have
• What the career field is like for potential jobs and what their salaries are
• How much schooling you’ll need to earn a desired degree, etc.

It is literally a life-changing decision, of which most students are burdened by when time comes for the college application process. Previous to college, we have spent our entire education following a pre-set path of required classes, not leaving much room to explore different subjects. Consequently, it only makes sense that we may not have an exact answer for what we want to be doing for the next 40-plus years. About 80 percent of students in the United States end up changing their major at least once, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Such a vast majority of students switching majors may seem to subdue its harsh reality, but it it is no secret that changing majors potentially equals more schooling and therefore more money out the bank—both of which are not exactly “#goals”.

2. Being in charge of yourself isn’t all fun and games.

Being on your own means you no longer have anyone watching over your every move and telling you what to do. This may have seemed like a dream come true for your childhood self—the thought of not having a bed time or being able to eat candy for dinner is all just wonderful, right? WRONG. Pulling pointless all-nighters watching Netflix and eating pizza for every single meal is (unfortunately) not the road to success, as deceiving as that may be. You may be living in an environment away from parents and with less restrictions and consequences, but it is important to be mindful of your actions, even in terms of the partying scene. Moreover, there aren’t any nagging phone calls home regarding a tardy or absence, and your teachers aren’t keeping you accountable for turning in homework on the daily. It’s all up to you whether you want to stay snuggled in your comfy bed or force yourself to get up for a class where attendance doesn’t even matter. Are you really going to open up that ginormous textbook to do the assigned long-term reading for an irrelevant subject? No one other than you would even know, let alone care. No one is going to make sure you’re 100% prepared for an interview, and no one is going to hand over an internship to you on a silver platter—these are all your own responsibilities now. And it is your individual effort and decisions that begin defining who you are as a person, so be sure to make them count.

3. There is no "Adult101"

So we may not have learned how to file taxes, take out loans, set up a 401K, or deal with medical insurance, but at least we know the quadratic equation! As we grow up, we realize something really scary: we aren’t exactly prepared. Not every aspect to an independent adulthood is taught in school, however, this isn’t the end of the world. I would hope there isn’t a single day when you are completely dropped and left alone; instead, it is more of a gradual process. And amongst this drawn-out process is the opportunity to ask questions and figure out how to deal with life on your own. Facing the world as we get older can make us feel like we’re just not ready yet. It is much easier to look back on a carefree childhood and desire to go back in time. Growing up is definitely not an easy task as it entails adopting more responsibilities, but it is also an exciting time in our lives. Every generation goes through the same situation, and it is only a matter of time before we actually figure out what we are doing (or at least fake it well enough). Good luck!