Thinking of adulthood as a kid is exciting, but the idea can be scary as we get closer to reaching it. Adults don’t get to leave boring situations to “go play” or cry when they are denied ice cream. Although many people do continue to portray childish ways well into their “adult” lives.

In the United States, individuals are legally considered adults at 18, they can participate in contracts, vote, marry, give sexual consent and join the military. However, in today’s society many people don’t consider themselves adults until well into their 20s.

Kamiah Morgan, a 20 year old junior psychology major considers herself mature but not yet an adult.

“Adulthood is different for everyone and some people are forced to grow up quicker than others,” Morgan said. “To be an adult today I think it means to be responsible for yourself and your own actions.”

Some children are forced into adulthood because of complications at home, while others take years after they have moved out of their parent’s house to actually mature into an adult.

Senior family and human services major Clara Lipetzky, 21, sees herself as mostly adult.

“I think I have become more adult every year since my senior year of high school when my family went through hard times that forced me to look out for my sister and myself at times without relying on my parents.”

Adulthood is about being able to react properly and handle problems in relationships maturely. As children, it was easy to get in fights then have no memory about them the next day, but forgiving and forgetting gets harder as we get older.

Adults should be responsible for themselves in every aspect of their lives. They don’t have to be perfect at everything, but they need to have a grip on basic life skills. Many responsibilities have a lot to do with financial situations, although someone can still be a responsible adult without being able to pay all of their bills.

Joe Rodini, a 26 year old doctoral student in psychology, sees education as a large part of considering oneself an adult or not.

“Through extended education, as compared to past generations, individuals have continued to internalize an expectation that they are still learning or still not fully developed well into their 20s,” Rodini said. “Individuals who do not attend an undergraduate institution do, in a very meaningful way, become adults before their more educated peers.”

Many college students are approaching the time in life when they are transitioning from childhood to adulthood. There are many different ideas about what constitutes an adult or how responsible adults are supposed to act, but in reality nobody really knows.

There are many different variables socially, culturally and economically that it seems futile to attempt to designate the “right” age of adulthood. What constitutes an adult is different to every person from any corner of the world during any generation.

In order to be an adult you must do whatever you think you have to. The most adult-like thing one can do is to be secure in themselves, once that is established, then independence and happiness will soon follow.