How High Schoolers Feel Transitioning Into A Young Adult
dahoari.com/event/welcome-to-adulthood-nampa
April 19, 2023
My cousin Damian Guerrero is now 20 years old, and he was able to successfully transition into adulthood. He says when he graduated from high school he was focused on money and providing for himself, so he got a job.
“It was hard but eventually I got a part time job in AutoZone.” He slowly gained experience in the car industry, and he decided to become a car mechanic. Though he didn’t go to college, he learned a lot from working with cars which led him to have a successful career where he can now provide for himself and for the family household.
Not everyone makes the change into adulthood as smoothly as Damian. Transitioning into a young adult can be hard. “The pressure of my future is scary. I am so used to my life, not really thinking about big responsibilities such as paying bills, providing for myself, and making future life decisions. It is scary to think about how my future will turn out and what job I will be willing to pursue,” says junior Angie Figueroa.
Sophomore Lena Reynoso agrees. “Young adults come with responsibilities that us teens are not mentally prepared for. Teens do not have to worry about bills and having to go to work. Adulthood also comes with facing so much adversity,” she said.
“When you are a child, you will always dream of the things you would do when you grow up,” says the article “Advantages and Disadvantages of Adulthood” posted on the entertainment and news website for Icy Tales <icytales>. “You would always get annoyed about the fact that you are being controlled by others and that everything will be okay once you hit adulthood. But your life changes completely once you grow up.”
It is hard to transition into a young adult because there are so many changes being made and a big one is independence. Junior Lizzy Quintanilla says, “This is a period where we must take on more responsibilities than usual. It is also a time where we start to not depend on our parents for things. We used to depend on them for when we were younger, and this is where we realize where we must make decisions on our own now.”
Preparing to become a young adult can be difficult. Sophomore Luis Vallecillo says, “Most teenagers are not ready, and have not experienced enough and do not have self-awareness to become adults. This is usually because they have not been able to develop the necessary experience. Young adults struggle with trauma, depression, or anxiety that may make them feel like they are not prepared for adulthood and what comes with being an adult.”
There are ways you can prepare to become a young adult. Senior Miguel Charles says, “An effective way to prepare for that transition is to start those habits young, such as working at a younger age, relying on yourself more, and building healthy habits that last for the long term.”
Senior Jazmin Betancourt says, “As young adults enter the workforce and start earning their own money, they may have to take on new financial responsibilities, such as paying rent, bills, and managing their finances. This can be overwhelming, especially if they have not had prior experience with managing their finances.”
