Transition to Adulthood by Gisselle

Transition to Adulthood by Gisselle - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

An important part of transitioning into adulthood is experiencing independence; Living the entire college experience plays a big role in this transition. I know I will be very thankful for the experiences I have in college because it will all be beneficial in preparing me for being on my own in the real world after. I am looking forward to finally being on my own and away from home. Living on campus would make me feel independent and push me to start doing things on my own instead of always having them be done by my parents. I will have to start doing small things on my own such as laundry, cleaning and keeping my dorm in good condition. This will be an essential skill for me to have when I’m fully living on my own and have to keep an apartment, or even a full home, neat on my own.
Another factor that goes along with the college experience that will benefit me in adulthood is choice making. In college, since the student is responsible for picking types of courses and their preferred time schedule, it is expected that they show up to all of their classes everyday. However, most of the time, especially in bigger state schools, professors don’t take attendance; It’s the student’s responsibility to show up to class. If a student does not show up to class, they will simply academically struggle because of the choice they made when they decided not to show up.
Something that everyone experiences throughout their life is challenges. When you're a dependent student, challenges can be overcome by the help of family and peers. While in college, you may face challenges that you will have to learn to resolve on your own. Although you may still get help from peers, everything is expected to be thought out and resolved on your own. This is a transition into adulthood by showing you how to be independent and get use to resolving issues on your own. We learn to take responsibility for our own actions.
I will also become extremely grateful when I gain better responsibility skills. The purpose of going to college is to get a further education, other than the mandatory high school years. If you choose to go to college, you are going there because you want to learn and you want a career. However, there will also be many distractions while you are there. Since you are independent and on your own, you are exposed to a lot more freedom than you’ve ever had. Unfortunately, some students take advantage of this and lack in school. For this reason, I am looking forward to learning to prioritize better; School is my priority, therefore it will always come first. If I have a 10 page paper due, but there's a party everyone is talking about, I would automatically prioritize my school work. Learning to prioritize is a good skill to have when you are transitioning into adulthood when it comes to consumer goods and budgeting; You will need to learn to prioritize your needs in your budget from your wants.
Last but not least, in college you will make learn to make good choices and be responsible of those choices. Since students have freedom, it’s important to set up rules for yourself. Academic goals are essentials when going to college, but you could also set up rules such as setting up your own curfew or not going out with friends until you get your homework done. These small choices make a big change in a student's college experience by learning to not get overwhelmed with the freedom and to handle everything like an adult.
Overall, I will be most thankful for the lessons I will learn in college. Practicing these skills will be essential for adulthood and it’s a good way to transition into it. I will be thankful for the lessons that I learn by experience and hope it positively benefits me in my adulthood.