FollowAs college students we tend to think of ourselves as adults, but we are more like adults-in-training, with the university functioning as the transitioning institution. Social conventions of adulthood, like being a certain age, do not automatically make an individual an adult. Adulthood does not just happen; it is a combination of experiences that develop and transform a person into an adult over a period of time.
Here are some guidelines for teens who think they are adults (or want to be adults), and for adults who are not there, even though they should be.
Alcohol & Age
Considering that most of the world’s 18-year-olds can legally drink and purchase alcohol in their respective countries, being 21 in America and doing the same does not make you an adult; however, being able to get drunk without a hangover the next day is an adult accomplishment, so congratulations. If you still do the “walk of shame” to your dorm through Durant and Telegraph Ave. you are not an adult.
Berkeley Stuff
Most of it should say alumni on it and you don’t wear it often because it makes you seem lazy and jobless.
Celebrations
For gift-giving holidays like Christmas, you are required to give more gifts than you receive, and you cannot complain, but simply accept it as a fact of life.
On Thanksgiving you have graduated from the pre-dinner with the teens and children to the main banquet that begins right after. It is accompanied by wine, champagne, and semi-interesting conversation about politics and other grown-up subjects of frustration followed by the breaking up of a mild conflict between your overly-passionate drunken relatives.
On Easter, instead of tackling small children in order to find brightly colored eggs filled with candy, you help hide them.
On Halloween, you politely wait on the sidewalk in your nice adult clothes as your nieces, nephews, small cousins, and children knock on a stranger’s door and get free candy while wearing a mediocre fantasy or career-based costume.
At birthday parties you resist the sweet temptation of hitting the piñata and rushing in to pick up the candy that you could very well buy for yourself, but you ultimately give in and fight for your candy because adults actually do it too.
Eating
As an adult you must recognize that pizza and snacks do not form a full meal. If you have developed a mild aversion towards such foods then you have most likely reached the status of adulthood. Groceries are an essential part of adult life — the refrigerator must never be empty, and it should be stocked primarily with fruits and vegetables and not boxes of frozen microwaveable dinners. You probably should not be asking your friends to swipe you in at Café 3 or Crossroads either.
Finance
An adult is not dependent on his or her parents for basic needs and definitely does not receive a weekly allowance to support their online shopping addiction or infatuation with celeb meet and greets.
Adults have a minimum of a couple hundred dollars in their bank account and own one credit card — which is used sparingly unless you want to be a broke adult.
You must also be able to balance your checkbook — whatever that means — and have some form of a stable income. Keep in mind that money from a paper route or lemonade stand does not count.
Greek Life
You should be done with this by now.
Housing
If you still have a roommate your adult level is still 9/10, unless of course it is your significant other with whom you are living. Being completely independent is part of adulthood, so if you are able to live by yourself and pay the rent for your apartment or house, you have reached level 10.
Identity
For the most part you know who you are and are not. You know the things you like and the things you dislike. You don’t pretend, and you care less about immature and unnecessary things like cliques and labels. Your interests and identity are near solidity but since humans are subject to change you will continue to refine yourself.
Love
If you are the relationship type, you should have a reasonable love interest that can potentially turn into a life partner. If you are the “hook-up” type then continue as long as there is consent and a mutual understanding of the relationship because that, too, is being an adult. If you are somewhere in the middle, pick a side because the compromise is marrying and divorcing many, many times, which does not reflect the stability that adults should have.
Marriage
Getting married and having children are two stages of life that signify the transition from an adult-in-training to a real adult so if these apply to you and you still consider yourself an adult-in-training you better hustle and reach level 10.
Northside vs. Southside
If you live on Southside you are probably not a full-fledged adult yet since Northside just has a more mature atmosphere. Perhaps it is because all the dorms and frats are located on Southside and they do not really add to an environment of adults.
Online Televison
You have your own Netflix, HBO GO accounts, period.
Sports Matches
At Cal football, basketball, or whatever other competitive sports games you go to, you do not go shirtless with blue and gold paint on your body but rather dress in your school colors or perhaps just normal clothes and you cheer enthusiastically but not like a lunatic away from the student section.
Video Games
You still play them occasionally but not for 18-hour cycles that prevent normal adult activities from occurring, like work and communication with the real world.
It is common for young people to be fascinated with the next stage of life without living the present one. The perks of being an adult do not necessarily outweigh the perks of being young and dumb, so be a child as long as you can.
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