After successfully completing 18 years of existence since emerging from the womb, you are now a legally an adult.
You can legally get married, vote, get a tattoo and make various other life-changing decisions all by yourself.
Abandoning all familiarities from the comfort of your childhood bedroom and immersing into a new realm surrounded by new people sounds like it might be scary, but it’s really not. Especially after realizing that virtually everyone is in the exact same situation.
Throughout high school, I was under the impression that going to college was going to be this massive life-changing moment and I was going to be all-grown-up. After being here, I feel completely different.
Dorm lifestyle is not what I imagined “growing up” would be like. Checking in to the front desk after certain hours, allowing only certain people in as guests and having RA supervision is similar to babysitting.
Not only that, but what does it really mean to “grow up” or participate in “adulting?”
One of Urban Dictionary’s definitions of adulting states “Being a responsible adult. Used by immature 20-somethings who are proud of themselves for paying a bill.”
This concept of becoming an adult and doing necessary duties is so foreign that Chico State even offers a workshop called Adulting 101.
It’s fascinating that simply completing our necessary responsibilities as individuals is looked at as this massive accomplishment. It’s like congratulating ourselves for finally choosing not to leech off of our parents.
Just before coming to college I heard a lot of people emphasize the importance of being responsible, even to the point of warning me to make my bed every day. The perception that college students are mindless kids who can’t survive in the world is held by a majority of the parents who watch their scholars leave home, but I completely disagree with that idea.
There are middle-aged adults who struggle with basic responsibilities and similar people with these circumstances exist despite their age. Being an adult is dependent upon the individual’s mindset to do their own duties.
As students, we have classes available to us in order to ensure a smooth transition into adulthood, but the overall college lifestyle also distorts the realities of being an adult by sticking us in rooms with twin beds and prohibiting things like wall tacks.
Even with restrictions, understanding how to cook and clean are important parts of living in the dorms or off-campus apartments. Figuring out transportation and being prepared for classes are important aspects of college life that are necessary to grow up.
Maybe it’s just because I already experienced independence before coming to college that I don’t think it is so scary or even that difficult. Even without having to clean their own rooms or do some basic chores, people should still be able to realize that college is a hub for learning both inside and outside of the classroom.
Whether it’s at a young age or during your time at Chico State, finding your independence is important to become a successful adult.
Sophia Robledo-Borowy can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.
