The lesson of growing up by Marlia

The lesson of growing up by Marlia - October 2013 Scholarship Essay

Outside of school, I was able to gain knowledge while employed at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. I obtained knowledge involving electrical engineering. For example, I learned how to properly read maps and diagrams of ships and other vessels ad how to read and operate circuit boards. Aside from those career related skills, I obtained other types knowledge and skills through working at the shipyard.
While employed at the shipyard, I learned how to be an adult. My job at the shipyard was my first job, ever. Prior to that, I basically had little to no experience outside the classroom. Working made me realize that there’s so much I did not know and that there’s so much that can’t be taught in a traditional classroom setting. I realized that adulthood is not at all what I romanticized and glorified it to be.
Adulthood is probably one of the scariest concepts in the world. There was not a single task I was given in which I was 100% positive that I knew exactly what I was doing. I constantly doubted my abilities and was inevitably paranoid. I confided in the professional engineers I worked with about the tasks I was given and how to approach any problems or difficulties I had in the workplace. They admitted that they had experienced the same type of emotions when they first started working. Their confessions comforted me; I realized that what I was experiencing was normal. I’m not meant to know what I’m doing all the time – everything is a learning experience. All of this is part of growing up and becoming an adult.