The Pressures Of Becoming An Adult

I am turning nineteen this year, and suddenly I’m reflecting back on my childhood and wondering where all the time went. The older I get, the more I feel like I’m missing something and I can’t quite put a pin on what it is. Sometimes I feel like I’m not the same as some of my peers in the sense that I have never been as carefree. I look back at my high school years and wonder why I didn’t have more fun. I was often worried about being a grown up, therefore I missed out on the times when I didn’t have to be. 

If you are anything like me, you probably think about society’s expectations a lot. Society teaches us from a young age that we have to be all into something or we amount to nothing. I often compared myself to childhood prodigies or celebrities who were “better than me” because of their success and status at a young age. Recently with the 2026 Olympics starting up, I have begun to compare myself more to the athletes making their mark on the world stage, some of them being the same age or younger than me. I often wish that I had the motivation to do what they do, and dedicate my whole life to something and make it all the way to the top. 

But then I remember in some ways it is a blessing that I get to live my “normal” life. I have made connections for myself here at college, and all in all my freshman year has been an exciting journey filled with hardships sure, but also lots of laughs and joy. I have joined clubs, auditioned for shows, and met new people from all different majors and backgrounds. There is much joy in living life for yourself and trying new things. I don’t think we should look down on it or consider it less than the life of someone living in the spotlight, because they have their struggles too. 

Age is another factor that I think influences a lot of our decisions. There is such a large pressure to accomplish so much, and to be successful that it starts to feel overwhelming. We are all just growing up and trying to function as adults, but in my mind I still feel like I’m sixteen sometimes. I think about the “after” of college; when I am expected to get a job and pay my rent, or buy a property eventually, and it all feels impossible somedays, so I wonder how some people make it look so easy. Sure I’ve got lots of support, but I don’t want to fail when my family has put so much on the line for me. 

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Despite all this, I have been reflecting lately, and I think it is a privilege to grow older. I have already had so many meaningful experiences in my life, and although sometimes it feels like the best days are behind me with childhood, I must remind myself that I am still young and have so much left to do. Getting older doesn’t mean that we are missing out or failing, we still have so much left to do after college. Even though it can feel scary to leave behind the simple years of teenage life and childhood, we are also lucky to get to move into the next chapter of twenty’s. 

I am proud to be nineteen now, because it shows how far I have come. I think a part of me will always look behind, and reminisce on what has been, but then I also know that I’m more likely to miss out on all the good that is happening right now, the life that one day I will look back on and wish I could return to, just for one day. Life doesn’t slow down for anybody, and age certainly doesn’t. It’s now or never to take control of your life, and live the way you want.

• adult
• college
• mental health