Postsecondary: Transition Into Adulthood

Coming to college as an adult, we have many expectations and preconceptions of what college will or will not be. The expectations we have can influence our college life for the better or the worse. My experience since starting college has been an interesting one. People have misconceptions about college because they do not know what to expect. After doing some research, I have concluded that there are three major factors that are often misunderstood about college life. The first is the financial aspect of college. Second, is the relationship between the professors and students. Third is time management. These three factors play an important role in why people are afraid to go down the path to college.

The article "Betwixt and Bewildered: Scholars are Intrigued by the Angst of "Emerging Adults" by Lynn Smith discusses a societal trend towards young adults (18-25) who are struggling to achieve the traditional markers of adulthood. The article covers some of the scholarly debate of the subject, wherein some researchers accept the phenomenon, others reject it, and between them they find little in the way of clear definition of the problem and its ramifications.

Whenever an individual is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the individual and the family members often wonder what the future holds for them, and the diagnosed individual. Although there is no statistical evidence on the life expectancy for the community of people with ASD, most premature deaths that do occur are related to the lack of care in an institution, infection, and/or poor medical supervision (Van Hecke, 2010). Premature deaths can also be linked to suicide by individuals in the ASD community, often those with a less severe version of the disorder. Suicide can most commonly occur when the individual develops a mental illnesses, often as the cause of a disconnect from society. Common mental illnesses associated with ASD

“College is a balancing act” I have personally heard this quote numerous times; however, it did not forecast its complete meaning until I began college myself. High School counselors prepare you academically and allow the paperwork process to run smoothly when entering college as a freshman. Although most of these counselors work hard to help High School senior’s transition into college, I believe no amount of paperwork or aid prepares you for such change. According to this survey, career uncertainty leads to anxiety – I couldn’t agree more with the findings of this study and to me it is no surprise. It is evident that the change of majors and anxiety created by the pressure of future satisfaction of jobs remains evident present day. Personally,

The transition from childhood to adulthood is a defining phase in the lives of many people. For some, it involves tradition and celebration; while for others it occurs in a defining moment. For me, the transition was a gradual process involving growth through leadership in middle school and high school.

Transitioning to adulthood is considered a period of life when young people are faced with trials of becoming part of the adult world. For some young people, this is a time to grow, an opportunity to spread their wings, and navigate through an exciting life. However, for others, the burdens that accompany the task of growing-up may be overpowering. Some may find themselves at odds and feel overwhelmed while pursuing their goals, although motivated to do so. Also, they may lack the resources or find themselves underprepared to meet the challenges that accompany those goals. Important questions come to mind when I think about young adults within today’s society: why does it seem that today's

What is emerging adulthood? What makes young adults go through this stage, and why should it be considered a stage? Robin Marantz Henig, a freelance journalist, author, and science writer, explains in her article, “What is it about 20-somethings?”, along with Dr. Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, a psychology professor at Clark University. Henig and Arnett discuss the reasons why many 20-somethings struggle to transition from adolescence to adulthood. Arnett calls this period of time “emerging adulthood”, and believes that it should be considered a stage of life. Because many young adults go through this and feel different, emerging adulthood should be recognized as a new stage of life, as it explains to people why it is okay to transition into adulthood

In the past, the transition from adolescence to adulthood occurred very quickly. Adolescents graduated from high school or completed whatever training they needed, got a job, and married in a span of several years, officially becoming an adult through these events. However, in recent times this transition has slowed down and extended, leading to a stage known as emerging adulthood. Emerging adulthood is defined as the period from late teens to mid-twenties, when many teenagers are unsure of their future and exploring other life options.

Psychologist Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, PhD, once said, “If happiness is the difference between what you expect out of life and what you actually get, a lot of emerging adults are setting themselves up for unhappiness because they expect so much. " One of the largest struggles that people around the age range from 18-29 face is the problem with becoming an adult. Legally, 18 is the key to adulthood, but most people this age don’t feel socially accepted as one. As an emerging adult myself, I agree.

Life is a process where the most unexpected happens. When growing up you face many problems, and later accomplishments, but the hardest part of life is having to cope with the transition from childhood to adulthood. Many people fear the fact of them having to take on various responsibilities and not having the same support or dependence as they when they were a child, but those encounters are the ones that shape you and help you become a responsible and independent individual.

The five features proposed that make emerging adulthood distinct are the age of identity explorations, the age of instability, the self-focused age, the age of feeling in-between, and the age of possibilities. Emerging adulthood includes things that do not fit into adolescence or early adulthood, like puberty and living with their parents for adolescence and a stable job and marriage for early adulthood. It is too long and important of a time period to be called a transition, which refers to the transitional changes at the end or beginning of a developmental period. Many people now have agreed that growing up is not as easy as it used to be and that therefore adulthood is being pushed into later ages. Some people view moving straight from adolescence to adulthood as having negative effects and that the period of emerging adulthood brings on a new perspective which sets adulthood into a later age at which those development changes are more

The first day of classes had arrived and I felt as if I was the lost puppy in a big campus. I had no idea what I was about to endure, when it came to transitioning. I was in the process of making the transition of high school graduate to college student. I had chosen to take my first writing class of the school year, wanting to rip it off like a band aid. I had previously come to the decision that it was not one of my strong subjects, but had the hope I would improve. I walked into my first class of that Monday morning and sat down in front one of the many computers surrounding the walls. I then see a woman enter who appears to be around the age of her 40’s. She came in with a bright smile and a coffee mug in her hand. She came ready to teach and I was anxiously ready to learn.

Emerging adulthood is a stage where one can find our self-identity, make decisions about continuing school, make important decisions for your health, and finally, for some, being financially

70% of young adults, ages 18 to 22, stop going to church once they leave home (McConnell). This number is staggering. The transition into college can be an uphill battle, and unfortunately, sometimes faith takes the fall. As one of the most stressful times in a student’s life, it is important to keep the faith battery fully charged. This is only attainable with regular visits to church or religious groups. The significance of finding a church cannot be understated. There are endless advantages to getting involved in a religious group at college, and finding the right church is not as hard as college students believe it to be.

All nine participants had parents who were heavily involved in the high school to college transition process. Every parent played some role while students are in the process of earning a four year degree. The finding of this research study indicated that the students encountered different levels of parental involvement throughout the transition process. Some parents were more involved in their child’s high school academic endeavors than other students. Nonetheless, all participants felt supported by their guardians and believes their parents continued to show some support with college decision-making. The Social Support Scale shows that each participant share a close relationship with their family and continues to seek advice when needed. All