Summary

College is recognized as a formative period that equips students with essential life skills beyond academic learning, preparing them for adult responsibilities.

Abstract

The article emphasizes that college is a critical time for personal growth and development of practical life skills. Beyond the academic knowledge and social experiences typically associated with college, students learn to manage daily tasks independently, such as cooking, cleaning, and financial management. These "adulting" skills are often overlooked but are crucial for self-sufficiency and caring for others. The author reflects on how their college experiences, from dealing with life's first-time challenges to the mundane tasks of maintaining a household, proved invaluable when they had to take care of their mother after a medical procedure. The article suggests that college serves as a safe training ground for the real world, where students can learn and fail while preparing for future adult responsibilities.

Opinions

College is more than just academic learning and social life; it's a time for gaining practical life skills.
The author believes that the first-time experiences and challenges faced in college, such as living away from home and managing personal affairs, are vital for personal growth.
The article conveys that the ability to perform basic household tasks, like cooking and cleaning, is a significant accomplishment for college students and a fundamental aspect of becoming an adult.
The author argues that the college environment provides a safe space for students to learn and make mistakes without severe consequences, which is essential for transitioning into independent adult life.
There is an appreciation for the college experience as a period that prepares individuals to take care of themselves and others in real-life situations, as demonstrated by the author's ability to handle household responsibilities during their mother's illness.
The author encourages current college students to embrace the opportunity to practice adulting skills and be grateful for the chance to learn self-sufficiency.

Appreciating the Adulting Lessons From College

College is more than just late night parties and studying

When you ask most college graduates what they learned most from college, it’s probably something along the lines of:

Some classes were useful for finding a job
Make good friends

In other words, college might help you get a job or it’s an expensive endeavor for making friends.

What about all the other experiences that we gain from college?

For many students, college is a lot of “firsts”. Your first kiss. Your first drink (alcoholic, of course). Your first all nighter.

It’s probably also:

Your first time not living under your parents’ roof.
Your first time cooking for yourself 24/7.
Your first time running out of clean underwear.
Your first time managing money.
Your first time dealing with any other life crisis (that you’re also trying to hide from your family)

Although college memories might be filled with crazy nights hanging out with friends or cramming in the library, the college experience is much more than partying and studying.

Let me start by telling you how I came to this realization.

Last week, my mom had a cholecystostomy (a procedure where a tube is inserted into your gallbladder to drain fluid.) She unfortunately ran into some unexpected complications, so she had surgery two days in a row. Even after staying in the hospital for an additional 3 days, she could barely walk by herself, even sleeping and breathing was painful.

Over the course of the next week, it became my responsibility to take over all the housework: cooking, laundry, cleaning — the very basics of “adulting”. It’s work that makes most college freshmen feel accomplished and grown up; it’s work that’s normal for all adults.

Adulting — the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks.

During this time of need, I was prepared to bust out my adulting skills.

Was I really an adult now? Maybe, but college has definitely helped prepared me for this moment.

College has taught me everything from setting up the WiFi to fixing the toilet, cooking a 3-course seafood dinner and finishing 3 weeks of laundry in 2 hours.

College was an opportunity to learn and fail in a safe space — the transition and training into the “real world”.

If you’ve graduated already, then I’m sure you’ve picked up a couple of new skills and tricks. By nature of pure exposure and practice, you’re more equipped to take care of yourself and others because of college.

If you haven’t graduated college yet and you’re reading this, then I hope you’ll take advantage of those four years to practice. Instead of complaining about feeding yourself and keeping yourself alive, be grateful for the opportunity.

One day, either you or someone you care about will need you to bust out those adulting skills for real.