Senior year of high school all I could think about was getting to college and really starting my life. Now, I suddenly find myself in February of my sophomore year of college and blown away by how quickly time has passed. When I was in high school I really only thought about the fun parts of college: the friends, the Greek Life, the memories, etc. But, after actually living it, I've found that there's so much more to this "adult" world than I had previously thought. Adulthood begs the question of whether we are actually just large kids or fully functioning people. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being a grown up, but there's a few things that are just plain weird about being on your own.
1. Taking care of yourself.
I'm an adult. I can eat frozen yogurt for dinner if I want to!
No. No, you can't. Well, you can, but then you can also find yourself starving at 3 a.m. with only cereal and hot chocolate mix in your pantry, and what do you do then? Also, when you get sick your mom isn't there, and you pretty much still have to go to class, so taking care of yourself and actually eating nutritious things and sleeping for at least six to eight hours becomes really important.
2. You need Ellen Degeneres in your life.
When it comes to college, you and your friends get into sticky situations involving relationships or life choices, with no one to give you the advice you wish you had. You learn a lot along the way to adulthood, but while you're trying to get there, you wish Ellen was alongside you, telling you all the answers to your dramatic problems that ends up resolving themselves after a phone call to your mom.
3. Cooking.
It's so hard. I'm not a vegetarian, but meat is expensive and takes more than five minutes to cook, which won't fly with me because I'm impatient. Fortunately I'm really good at putting vegetables in a pan, so it looks like that's dinner again. Good thing as a sophomore I have leftover meal points from freshman year!
4. Weather.
It's cold and I don't want to wear a jacket because it clashes with my sweater, but now here I am wishing I had that umbrella, because even though the forecast said there was only a two percent chance of rain it is 100 percent raining and I am soaked.
5. Homework.
Suddenly it's 12:30 a.m. and you realized you have a quiz tomorrow on an article you never read because you didn't check your email four hours ago, and now you're wishing you were asleep. Time management is probably the most important skill I've learned at college. Let me tell you how nice it is to finish your homework and be able to fall asleep at a normal time.
Being on your own is a whole new ball game, but it teaches you so much. You become your own version of an adult; even if that's only a semi functional one.
