Independence by Dylan

Independence by Dylan - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

This is another four years, another new beginning. However, this is not high school anymore. This is college—full of exciting times and brand new experiences. Nothing else compares to what happens in college. Looking into my near future, I clearly see what experience I will be most thankful for in college: independence. There are no nagging parents every day. Responsibilities are greater but not without more reward. There is also a cushion to fall back on for mistakes.
Parents can be the best and worst part of every teenager’s life. They can be like a ball and chain. Now, instead of waking up to their sets of rules every morning, I will have my own set of rules to live by. Although they will always affect my decisions, it will always be on a less grandeur scale. They are not there to help guide my life every step of the day anymore. It becomes my own life. However, when something does go wrong, I know they are always a phone call away. They will listen to my problems, and they will always help me through tough times. After all, I am still young and dumb.
Responsibility looks like a frightening word, and it is. However, it comes with many rewards. In college, I will finally be, or at least resemble, an adult. In high school, life is not really full of responsibility. Sure, there will always be an assignment due or a scholarship essay to complete, but few people worry about the nerve-wracking problems that adults live with. With these new responsibilities also comes great reward, like managing more time between work, studying, and having a social life. It is a whole new feeling.
If something goes wrong, there is still a nice soft cushion to fall back on. If, or rather when, I mess up, no one is too far away to help me. I still have close friends from my home town that I can talk to, and my family, like I said before, is just a call away. This cushion also exists because of how young traditional college students are. Sure, my mood can be hampered for a small amount of time, but not a lot is at stake. I have neither a current career nor a growing family to worry about. It is easier to roll with the punches.
My parents no longer control the life I live. The responsibilities of adult life begin to settle. A cushion is also available in case something goes awry. Independence proves to be the experience I look forward to the most in college. These next four years are really a way to reinvent myself. It is the moving from childhood to adulthood, and it is the most exciting time of anyone’s life.