For some, 18 is a larger change than others. For me a lot changed since I turned 18, I bought a car. I got a bank account, piercings, tattoos, a basement room, and a later curfew. I have always been more mature than others my age, but now I have responsibilities. For some, 18 is not a big deal; they have had a plan since they walked into high school. Others  have had a harder time figuring it out. Becoming a legal adult is a bigger deal than I thought. Someone asked me if I felt different after I turned 18. At the time I said no, but now the honest answer is yes, I do feel different. This change may not happen for everyone; the maturing and growing process is different for everyone and some become adults much quicker than others. Either because we have had to or it suits us, young adults are adults none the less. The world now holds me responsible for myself, and some days that is a horrifying thing, while others it is a source of relief. I can be independent and make my own choices, unlike before, the repercussions from those decisions are also mine.  I purchased a car with my own money. I have a debit card and have to manage a budget. I’ve had to learn to balance school and a job. I have to make sure I have the credits I need to graduate. For the first time in my life a plan wasn’t set for me, I am making one for myself. I now have to think about things that never used to matter. Do I pay for food or do I pay for gas? Can I financially afford taking a sick day? Figuring out school plans and looking at living situations, money situations, and how that will affect the future in the long run. Figuring out what major is a huge decision, and though it isn’t one that has to be made as a senior in high school, it’s something that now matters.

Being an adult is more that being 18 and doing things for yourself. Being an adult is a matter of maturity and how you handle a situation. Acting like a child makes you a child no matter what your number age is. If someone wants to be respected and treated as an adult, being respectful and mature is the only way to accomplish that. Becoming an adult can be overwhelming, but it is coming for everyone and each individual has to decide how to respond to it.