Michelle Kwong/Contributing Writer
When a person turns 18 in the United States, they are considered an adult. Once a student enters college or university, they are expected to balance part-time jobs with classwork, handle their finances while maintaining a good GPA.
But are they actual adults in society? Or is the word “adulting” just a term used to describe something mundane?
According to Merriam Webster, adulting is “to behave like an adult, to do the things that adults regularly have to do.” Examples included washing and drying clothes, doing yard work and having a car registration.
However, I felt the term was also related to emotional maturity as well, because isn’t being mature in one’s actions and behavior an adult thing to do?
In an article written in 2012 by Tim Elmore, published in Psychology Today, the author considered keeping long-term commitments, having a spirit of humbleness, showing gratitude regularly and understanding how to prioritize others before yourself as signs of emotional, intellectual and spiritual maturity of an individual — among many others.
To me, adulting is a learning process as we age and start to realize how our actions influence our future. For instance, not knowing how to budget leaves a person vulnerable in case of an emergency. But in order to be prepared for the future and avoid those stressful situations, it’s important to get plenty of practice and knowledge of the subjects early in life.
Having home economics or classes to teach “Adulting 101” as a required course in high school seems like a good strategy.
For those of us who haven’t had those courses on how to cook, build credit and other adult-like behaviors, then it’s best to start taking actions now. By reading books, using online resources and relying on trustworthy friends and family members, we can fulfill that potential and prevent stress-filled days in the future.
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The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of FIU Student Media Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Image retrieved from Flickr.
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