Recently, a variety of topics have crossed my mind. As I progress through college and the rest of life, I find myself thinking about what it means to be a grown-up. I am 19 years old, which means that I am legally an adult. I am slowly, but surely starting to dip my feet into the adult world for the first time of my life, and this new stage comes with a myriad of changes. It means that I am no longer a kid, and that people expect me to be mature and responsible. Adulthood leads to having a higher awareness of how I come off to people, and that my actions have consequences to them.
Adulthood comes with a slew of advantages. In addition to taking care of myself and sleeping in as long as I want, I am more mature and knowledgeable about the world. I can talk with my friends and family about a wider range of topics, and people give me more respect than when I was younger. I have more freedom and independence than ever before and I am more dignified as a result. My parents also treat me like a grown person now as they expect me to take care of myself and become more independent. I can assert my own identity and I do not feel as watched over as I was during high school or middle school.
However, adulthood also comes with some disadvantages. For starters, I am expected to further my career and stand on my own two feet. I have to seriously think about what I want to do with my life, and I need to consider how to act correctly in adult situations. I have to know how to drive a car and put myself out there in order to help my future, and it is necessary for me to think about finding a place for myself and managing money. Frankly, I have no idea how to do any of the tasks that are associated with adulthood. Budgeting seems like a daunting task for me, and pondering my future overwhelms me so much. In spite of how well I've done in college, completely fending for myself seems like a scary prospect. Life piles on far more responsibilities on me and it seems like I worry so much more than when I was younger.
Additionally, I still feel like a kid. Even though I am legally an adult, I do not feel like an actual grown-up. I still find myself struggling with various issues and I do not feel this maturity that adults are supposed to have. I am aware that I still have much to learn about the world, and I feel as though I am not that much different from how I was in high school. I am still naive about the world around me in some ways, and I feel inexperienced in dealing with the routines and expectations of adulthood. There have been various moments in my life where I feel behind in terms of wisdom and awareness about the world, and I still have this lingering sense of immaturity in me.
In conclusion, the concept of adulthood has been an interesting, but often confusing one for me. Being an adult provides me with independence and a better understanding of the world around me. I do not depend on my parents as much, and I have many more freedoms in my life. However, much of adulthood seems daunting and overwhelming to me. Doing typical adult duties seems so stressful and I do not feel like a true adult yet. I still have a lot to learn about the world around me and I know that I have not fully matured yet. Adulthood is a captivating, but a bizarre point in my life that I'm still trying to figure out.
