As a wise old second year collegiate, I can say with confidence that there are so many things you learn during your college career that help you to transition from the “Mom, I’m 18, you can’t tell me what to do!” grown-up to a more mature, and independent collegiate adult. Here are the top seven things you need to learn in order to become a mature adult during college.
1. How to Feed Yourself
When you get to college, there is no longer anyone making sure you eat balanced meals, or eat enough during the day. It doesn’t take long to discover that the stereotypical college diet of sodium filled instant foods is unsustainable and takes a definite toll on your body. Additionally, depending on your living situation, it may be the first time you have to cook for yourself; this involves the lovely process of budgeting, meal planning, and of course, managing to utilize basic cooking techniques to produce something edible and, hopefully, flavorful.
2. How to Do Laundry
While this was not a learning curve for me, as evidenced by the poor souls who stick tide pods into the detergent drawer, doing your own laundry can prove to be a struggle. Hopefully you don’t shrink or stain too many articles of clothing before you learn this lesson in “adulting”.
3. How to Make Your Own Appointments
There is nothing that quite says “adult” like calling a medical office and making an appointment for yourself. Making appointments goes directly against the typical collegiate nature which tells you to avoid phone conversations at all costs. Warning: It may take many attempts before the art of the articulate and confident phone conversation is mastered.
4. How to Stay on Top of Housework
While a little mess never killed anyone, it can be a bit of a rude awakening to discover no one is going to do things like take out the trash, do the dishes, or clean the bathroom for you on a regular basis. It’s amazing how quickly common areas lose their sparkle!
5. The Art of Going to Class
College is a far cry from high school in many, many ways. One of the most easily recognizable is the fact that no one will punish you for skipping class; in fact, most classes don’t even take attendance, and many Freshman will fall prey to the idea that class attendance is “optional”, especially when 7:30 AM classes are involved! The true mark of an adult is going to class (or work) even when you would rather be doing anything else.
6. How to Deal with Irritating Roommates, Co-workers, or Classmates
The good news is if you wind up with that one roommate who, rather than taking out the trash, simply creates a new pile NEXT to the trash can, you will have the opportunity for great growth. Having a serious but non-confrontational conversation is something that will, sadly, come up many times during the course of your life.
7. How to Implement Self-Care
I don’t mean the bath-bomb treat yo’ self variety, but rather actual self-care. Getting a decent amount of sleep, knowing how far to push yourself, and just generally doing things to maintain sanity. Although society pushes the idea that stress is the marker of a successful person, a true adult is able to find a healthy balance.
It’s remarkable how much you can change in a short amount of time. Trust me, (as the wise and knowledgeable second-year student that I obviously am) you will look back in amazement at the little freshman you once were. Have no fear, collegiates, you are well on your way to becoming the mature and independent person you’ve always wanted to be!