I remember when life was simple, no responsibilities whatsoever. The word “complications” didn’t exist in my vocabulary. No decision needed to be made and even if they were made, I just couldn’t go wrong either way. Life, somehow, managed to run itself smoothly.
But like the old saying goes, “Nothing in life is meant to last forever.”
We reach the point in our life when our wings are set free. We take a different voyage that will put us face to face with the real world out there. An unknown place that has been waiting patiently for us. I’m not just talking about growing up, but about the consequences it brings along with it. The whole responsibility deal.
I realized all of this during my first semester in college, almost 14 years ago. I had a blurred idea about what the whole college thing would be like, but for me, the whole process happened so soon. I remember it all, waking up really early that morning, as my first class started at 8:00 a.m.; walking into my first class, I was terribly nervous, but I maintain a poised look. All of a sudden it hit me. Without a letter of introduction, responsibility appeared before my eyes.
It doesn’t ask if you’re prepared for it or not and there’s nothing you can do about it. You can adapt to it easily and become the responsible being that your parents always wanted you to be, or simply say, “No, this is not for me” and run from it, but of course, we all know that that’s not the best choice.
I always thought of myself as being independent, mature, and most of all responsible. But that morning I felt lost and confused like I have never felt before. I’m sure many can sympathize with me. It all felt strange. It was like, hold on a minute, I was still back in high school a few months ago. I didn’t know where I was standing. I felt like I was being bombarded with all of these feelings, fear, pressure, and doubts.
College is a step into life that brings many opportunities that can be wisely taken. We have to work hard to obtain our objectives, though. We can’t just sit there and expect things to resolve themselves like they did before. Things are quite different now.
In the eyes of everyone, we are perceived as responsible adults. We have to take care of the classes we need in order to meet the requirements. Attending class is up to students or else you can get dropped from the course. Assignments are to be turned in on time. No make up test are allowed.
Unfortunately, this is where we stand. Decision- making becomes part of our daily life and this time we pay the consequences for a wrong decision. Aside from responsibility is the high expectation from relatives that some of us have to carry on our shoulders. And for that, we feel even more pressure.
When will this be over? The answer is never. It’s sad to say, but this is life. To know that only the strong ones survive is scary, but if we really want to, nothing is impossible. Believe me, I have come to believe that.
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