Let's face it... growing up can be kind of scary. One minute you're carelessly dancing at your Senior Prom, ready to graduate and tackle the next step of your life. The next minute, you're eating Ramen Noodles out of a Styrofoam cup, praying that you have enough money in your bank account to put gas in your tank to drive to your unpaid internship. Well here are the 10 harsh truths of adulthood that no one told you about:

1. Society will set a timeline for your life, and it is completely acceptable not to follow it.

"If you start having kids after the age of 30, your children will view you as old and uncool for the rest of your life. You won't be able to keep up with the younger parents."
"If you get married any younger than 25, you're setting yourself up for divorce. You need to take time for yourself to travel and establish your career."
"So when will you be finishing college? I don't understand how it can take five years to get a Bachelor's Degree in Communications."

Society seems to think that there is an indefinite timeline we must follow in order to live a proper, fulfilling life, and no matter what you do, you will be "wrong." My advice? Move at a pace that works for you. If you want to travel the world and be independent until you're 35, excellent! You are making memories that will last a lifetime. If you are financially stable, completely in love and decide to have children at 22, fantastic! Your children will appreciate how well you can keep up with them on the playground. Whether you take 3 years or 6 years to complete your college degree or whether you even decide to attend college at all is nobody's business but your own. It's your life, and you are entitled to make whatever you want out of it.

2. Everyone gets older, but not everyone grows up.

When we were younger, we automatically assumed that anyone relatively older than us was mature, trustworthy and responsible. As lovely as this sounds, it is unfortunately untrue. The older you get, the more you realize that some people stay perpetually stuck in their glory days. Staying out drinking all night and missing work twice a week, starting rumors about your personal life, spending their money on things that aren't needed and then complaining about over-drafting their bank accounts; some people never abandon their old, destructive ways. Just as we had to use our judgement when making friends as kids, the same judgement applies when choosing who to associate with as adults, especially when it involves trusting who to look after our (future or current) children.

3. The things you took for granted and despised as children will become some of your favorite things as adults.

Naps, grocery shopping, and eating an actual meal (you know, because sometimes snack cakes and candy just don't cut it) will be some of your highest priorities. As children we loved going to birthday parties and naps were the bane of our existence. As adults, we will gladly pass up on an opportunity to socialize every now and then and substitute it with laying in bed and binge-watching Netflix.

With that being said...

4. You will love some things even more than you did as a child.

You loved playing Pokemon on your poorly-lit Gameboy as a little one, and you love it even more now that it's available on your smartphone. Some flames never quite burn out... and that's completely O.K.

5. Social cliques still exist outside of high school and college.

Here's the bad news: whether it be at the office or in parent organizations, an unfortunate part of growing up is realizing that people aren't any less judgmental, stuck-up or entitled than they were in school.

Here's the good news: the older you get, the less you care.

6. You will start to get behind on the latest celebrity news and social phenomenons, or have no knowledge of them all-together.

Allow me to break down a conversation I've recently had with someone still in high school:
Me: "Have you heard the new song by Iggy Azalea? It's pretty good!"
High-schooler: "Yeah... that song came out like two months ago. It's really not that good, honestly. None of my friends even like her anymore."

The minute you realize that you are getting behind on popular songs, YouTube videos, and slang is the minute you officially enter adulthood. Congratulations! Next, people younger than you will start saying words that you have never heard in your life. It's an uphill battle from there, my friends.

7. You will also start subconsciously criticizing anyone noticeably younger than you and thinking what you would have done in their situation.

"Ugh, kids these days dance sooo inappropriately. Twerking? It's repulsive. Not to mention how crude the songs they listen to are!" Let's face it; every generation had inappropriate dance moves of some sort, it's just a matter of perspective. Additionally, I can assure that you loved a song that you would be absolutely mortified if your parents found out.

You will start thinking thoughts like,
"That girl is so pretty. I wish she knew she didn't have to dress so provocatively to get attention."
"These cartoons suck compared to the ones I watched as a kid."
"When I was younger, we didn't have all this technology. We played kickball. We went for bike rides. WE DIDN'T DEPEND ON A DEVICE TO HAVE FUN!"

Don't fight it, because you won't win.

8. No one told you about all of the responsibilities that come with independence.

Paying the rent on time, feeding yourself a meal that won't break your wallet or completely clog your arteries, calling the doctor and actually scheduling your appointments (or avoiding it at all costs and hoping that you don't die), and facing the never-ending-struggle of putting a fitted sheet on the bed are dismal tasks that no one told us we would have to complete on a daily basis. Life was much simpler when we had other people to do these things for us. Now, we have become those people.

9. You will put an adult-y spin on childhood indulgences.

This truth is similar to number four, but much more innovative. Juice boxes are substituted with plastic tumblers filled with wine, blanket forts and cartoons are now pillow fortresses with no pants and Orange is the New Black, and caring for your stuffed animal is now caring for a very-much-alive pet.

10. You will never actually have your life fully together, but you will be a pro at making it seem like you do.

At the end of the day we're all just bumbling around, bumping into things and asking questions. But with adulthood comes great responsibility, and with great responsibility comes a reputation to maintain. Find some matching socks, pour yourself a cup of coffee and smile... this is what you have been waiting for.