We all know the saying, "I don't ever wanna grow up." And I'm sure you've also heard people say they can't wait to grow up. While growing up and getting older comes with many benefits, it also means you must face many harsh realities that you didn't know existed as a kid.
Here are a few of the sad realizations we all have as we grow up:
1. You actually have to work hard to succeed.
In high school, you may have been able to get away with receiving at least mediocre grades without doing too much work. But in college, you realize that homework doesn't usually take less than 15 minutes, but rather hours. And if you want to succeed after college, you're going to have to spend a majority of your day working.
2. Money is a real thing.
By the time you reach college, you realize that money doesn't grow on trees. You also realize that the green paper rectangles and silver and copper-colored circles you keep in your wallet are what keep you alive. As you become less dependent on your parents, you realize the importance of making and having money.
3. You can't just wear whatever you want.
When you were young, if you wanted to wear those short flowery shorts to school, well then you did it. As you mature and get your first real job though, you realize that the professional world doesn't approve of your small tank tops or the pair of zebra-striped pants you thought were cool and wore every day in seventh grade. As you get older and change, so must your wardrobe.
4. Summer isn't all fun and games anymore.
When you were young and in high school, summer usually meant spending time in the sun with your friends and having no responsibilities for three months. However, now that you're grown up, all your friends are spread across the world, working or interning from 9-to-5 everyday. This means a lot fewer sleepovers and girls' nights.
5. You don't know what to call home.
As you go through your college career, you go home less and less. You may decide to stay near school and get a job or internship for the summer, or maybe you'll travel abroad. When you spend at least eight months at school away from your house and family, school starts to seem more like your home. Or perhaps you feel like neither is your home. In either case, you struggle with choosing what to call home.
6. Friends change.
As you get older, you realize that not everyone you meet will remain in your life forever. Friends drift apart, and even those who you thought would always be your best friends may become irrelevant by the time you're even halfway through your college career.
If you're feeling down because of these things, just know that these are changes everyone experiences as they mature from childhood to being an independent adult. They're normal, and even though they may make you sad at first, you'll get used to them. It's not the end of the world, just the start of a new discovery in your world, a new chapter of your life.
