Being a child means always being too young for anything fun and being an adult means being too busy for anything fun, so the golden age has got to be in the middle. Young adults have it all – time, energy, and the “go ahead” from both their parents and the law. Could we ask for anything else when being a young adult already comes with all the best perks?

1. Debt

Why don’t we just talk about the best thing ever right off the bat? I’m so excited to be paying off my student loans when I’m 50-years-old. I know all my friends are really looking forward to it too! Who’d want to start off with a clean, blank slate when you can go into adulthood already owing tens of thousands of dollars in loans?

2. Loneliness

Did you manage to put together a strong support system for yourself over the years? Congratulations! Now, get ready for everyone around you to move and change their personalities beyond recognition so that you are once again alone! I know my introverted self is having a great time speaking to complete strangers. I’m sure all my timid, socially anxious people out there agree.

3. Anxiety

Think you’re doing good in your psychology class? Are you sure? Think your friends like spending time with you? Yes, maybe. But what if they all secretly hate you? One of my favorite things about young adult life is the crushing uncertainty and anxiety that comes with every action. Anxiety makes sure you don’t get too lonely. It keeps you company, whether you’re eating lunch, shopping or out with friends.

4. Stress

The all-nighters of college make your high school all-nighters look like a restful eight hour sleep, which means you’re getting better and better at pulling them! And you’re growing as a student too, which means you can totally handle the three essays and two quizzes that you have on Thursday.

5. Fear Of Failure

Are you lying in bed sick, contemplating skipping the three classes you have that day and calling out of work? Have the three consecutive panic attacks you experienced got you thinking about maybe not doing the essay your English professor assigned and just taking the late grade? Not anymore because if you do you’ll fail all your classes, have a horrible GPA, lose your job, get kicked out of school and never amount to anything EVER. Say what you want about the suffocating fear of failure, but it definitely gets your butt out of bed!

6. Ridicule

Have a political opinion? You’re too young for one. Not involved in politics? God, this generation is so ignorant. LGBTQ? You’re just a confused special snowflake. Considering a career in the arts? Hope you’re going to be satisfied working in retail all your life. Technologically apt? Look at all these young people with their head in their phones. Best thing about being a young adult is that you can never really win. Regardless of what decision you make, you’ll always be judged and made fun of for it. Hey, at least we know what to expect.