If you’re a senior, I bet you feel that things are starting to become real since it’s our last semester at Xavier ever. You’re about to turn eighteen and you’ll legally be an “adult.” You never really understood why upperclassmen told you that high school goes by so fast until you’re actually two months away from graduating. It’s so surreal because it’s something you’ve looked forward to for so long but at the same time, it’s like your childhood is slipping away. Suddenly, you have to grow up so fast. It’s a whirlwind of emotions and you don’t know why you have to be an adult right when you turn eighteen.

    Now, technically I’m still seventeen and will be so until May 14, but the dreaded day is forever coming closer. It’s slowly starting to kick in that I’m actually going to be eighteen pretty soon. Pretty big things can start once you hit that age. You can get a tattoo, be eligible to vote and be much more independent in general. Others may even struggle to figure out what they want to do with their life if they don’t earn tot go to college. Even my parents have told me how I need to really start getting ready for college at Iowa State. Finding a roommate, putting in housing, discovering majors, etc. It’s all just hitting me in the face so fast. ISometimes I still feel like a bright eyed little freshman and not the burnt out senior I am today. It’s crazy what can change in four years. I am still hoping I can do some childish things, even if I am eighteen and not be judged for it. Sometimes, I just want to sit in my room and jam out to some One Direction songs or maybe I want to rewatch my favorite childhood TV show like iCarly or Hannah Montana and not have to think about the number of assignments I have to do. 

      Eighteen is just a number, sure.  I know it’s not something to be nervous about. You gain a little bit more independence and you can start to figure out what you want to make of your life. It’s just weird to think about how I need to suddenly act more mature than in previous years. Even though I need to act more mature, I can sleep with stuffed animals, jump on my bed or annoy my brother with dumb questions. It’s okay to be a kid once in a while. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to relive your childhood. 

   So act fun and silly. Turning eighteen shouldn’t mean that you’re forever stuck as an adult. Enjoy those kid shows and let loose a little. I know I will. No matter my age.