I'm About to Become an Adult!

[Professor Palutena]

Great, but what does that have to do with college?

If the winking emoticon isn't clue enough, the tongue-in-cheek statement is there because many, many college degrees aren't worth the paper upon which they are printed, let alone the actual money you'll have to pay out for them. In an attempt to be concise, there are many degrees for which there is no real job demand and/or dubious standards. There is also an issue about intellectual diversity at most universities in the USA. I cannot speak for elsewhere. Even if one wishes to avoid giving flawed or "bad" ideologies, theories, etc. a chance to spread, the homogeneous nature of thought life on many a campus fails to teach the students how to actually think about their worldviews.

I do not believe college is a waste of time for all. I do believe it ill suited to most, as it has gone from a place of higher learning to a status symbol or cultural rite, antithetical to its intended purpose.

This is true. The value of an English degree is much less than a Computer Science degree. And yes, the homogeneous intellectualism at campus is incredibly obnoxious with how ultra-liberal it is. Though, coming from a more conservative background, it has helped me with my own worldview. So I think it's more of a "your mileage may vary" situation.

I'm not sure what experience you have but this is something I'm doing now and have been doing for 4 years now. My major is game technology and the things they have me doing have both been a waste of time and money, both which are huge when you're an adult. I suggest some kind of trade school if you choose to continue your education since it's more focused. Given what I want to do with my life and what I was offered at the school has largely been a waste of time.

I do agree that education is very important but there should be some kind of focus before deciding to just jump in. I say this because most people want a 2 year degree but with specialized skill sets. If you want an office job, then this is the right thing to do but if you want something in the arts or anything more technical then that isn't the right way to go. Of course I'm speaking as a game designer/artist/animator and the 72+ credit hours of classes I took not related to those have been a huge waste of my time.

Regarding my experience, I'm currently getting a M.A in History, so I've completed the Bachelors level already. It's a requirement for my career field so I'm doing it. Student debt sucks but the end justifies the means for me.

I'm assuming by "waste of time and money", you're referring to mandatory core courses in humanities, social sciences, etc. While I will never know why I, as a prospective academic historian, needed to take Physics, I don't think it was a waste of money. It may be beneficial down the road, and I learned something cool. It just may not be helpful to my career, which I'm okay with.

I will never knock someone down for wanting trade school (I have a lot of friends that go there and they're having successful careers), but it's important to acknowledge that just as college/university isn't for everyone, neither is trade school. Not everyone is, for lack of a better term, "blue collar" enough for it.

I also agree with you about critically thinking about post-secondary before enrolling. If you don't know what you want to do when you hit that apply button, it's going to be rough. I have a friend who spent 9 years at college because she had no idea what she wanted to do, so she spent 3 years there trying to find something she liked. Her motive for going: everyone else was and I didn't want to feel left out. Her result: $90k in student loans that she will probably never repay and set her behind for decades.

Really, I think the golden rule for young/new adults should be something akin to this:

If your dream job requires college/university, then go. Your future happiness cannot be measured by a dollar figure.

If your dream job does not require college/university, then don't go. It will be a waste of time and money, your two most important, and limited, resources.

 

[banpresto]

In my opinion(or from what I've experienced), you don't just become adult. I'm certain there have been over 100 instances after I turned 18 where I thought I was an adult (I may still not even be) and was still unknown to the full experience. But that's just it. It's more of an experience I believe. As you grow up, there are so many new experiences (like your part time job) such as driving, relationships, maybe taxes, etc.
Then one day you move out...and you'll likely have the greatest grasp of the concept. My Dad says the point you understand it most is when you get behind the wheel though.

 

[ZetsuMaxwell]

Here's my thoughts. I'm 23 by the way, and have a decent life.
This is incredibly stilted, but hey, it's my opinion.
I turned into a adult one day when I was taken to court in 2013 on exaggerated charges while living with my parents. It made me fear doing the wrong thing in the future. I myself now, three years later, still living at home, under my parent's wings. They are planning to kick me out in January if I don't get a better job or go to school. Still, I have a decent job, part time in truth, but I do plan to go back to college in the spring, having graduated in 2014 from my first college. Anyway, back to my point... You don't become an adult overnight, on a birthday, or even when you choose. Others can decide when you become an adult, such as the law can decide, or just anyone else but you. Your reaction to outside forces can turn you into an adult instantly, slowly, or never at all. I'm lazy by nature, and in addition easily depressed. But regardless of my will and whims, I had to grow up one day in 2013. The court record still exists, so I can never fully escape it, and I have to step lightly in regards to many things.


tl;dr: You can call yourself a adult, but you may be just fooling yourself. In my opinion, others decide when you're an adult.

Side note:
My brother is 21. He is on SSI, and in the eyes of the law and other things, he can't really take care of himself. He's still functional in society to a degree, but he'd last a very short time in the "wild" so to speak. He is an adult in the eyes of many, but I don't know what he considers himself. Just the same, he's an adult to me.

Either way, adulthood is not as fun as it seems. Responsibility, payments, legal stuff, etc. Oh, and the passage of time. Can't forget that.