The last 8 months (two semesters) have brought many great memories and taught me many valuable lessons. I learned the importance of washing machine pods and how crucial they are to maintaining clean clothes. I realized that metal or foil should not be thrown into the microwave. But the most important lesson I learned over the course of my freshman year is that I'm an adult and I'm responsible for my own actions.
Rewind to last august when I was moving into Clark. My mom and I pulled up in the 'clerking lot' and started unpacking. The campus looked so large and new. There were all of these random students walking around who I had never seen before. I was intimidated greatly. My mom helped my unload all of my clothes and put everything up in my dorm. After about an hour, she wiped her hands and asked if there was anything else I could need. I tried to think about any possible thing I left home or what other supplies I could possibly use before I start the semester. The best I could muster up was "wanna get food?"
We went to BJ's and had our last meal together. I was starting to get a little sad when I realized that it's going to be a long time before I see my family again. We finished our meal and my mom dropped me off back at the dorm. We embraced one last time and parted ways.
The following month consisted of trial and error. I learned how to do laundry but failed to do so without shrinking a shirt or two. Simple chores were becoming second nature and I finally figured out how to iron button downs.
The freedoms that came with being away from parents were great! I could come back at whatever hour I wanted to. My roommate and I became fond of watching Walking Dead until 4 AM every weeknight. While it was fun at first, I soon learned that sleep is kind of a crucial process that college students need. I eventually cut those tv marathons short in favor of more sleep.
Going to the doctor was definitely another shock for me. I never realized how many forms one has to fill out before they can even see their doctor! I was started to realize how much I took my parents for granted.
I am in no way complaining about the new freedoms that I've gained ever since I started attending college, but they brought with them a wake up call. I learned that if I want something accomplished, it is my responsibility to see it out. Maybe the shock wasn't so big to other students. For this mama's boy it sure was!
Becoming and adult is scary, and I still never want it to happen for me. I agree that college has given me much more responsibility and that has helped me grow up. I think that we also have a responsibility to continue to live and have fun even if we have a lot of work and chores to do. We do not need to take ourselves or our lives to seriously and I think as we grow up we are responsible for the balance between getting things done and being a good "adult" and goofing around and not let your work consume your whole life.
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