18 Things To Do When You Turn 18 | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

18 Things To Do When You Turn 18

We are actual aduts now...yikes

3971
18 Things To Do When You Turn 18

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I am now an actual adult and can be my own person, make my own rules, and do what ever I want... As long as my parents say it's okay. Yes, being 18 is kinda confusing if your parents are like mine, and by like mine I mean normal parents who want to keep you safe. So I have compiled a list of things that are okay to do when you turn 18 so your parents won't disown you.

1. Set a new curfew, if you did not like the old one.

While you might not have a legal curfew, you (hopefully) still have one at home. My parents were pretty good about letting me stay out past mine if I wanted or needed to. But after 12 am, there is not a whole lot to do. So unless you had a completely awful curfew then discuss pushing back your curfew till midnight or maybe doing away with one all together.

2. Buy some cigarettes

But for the love of Jehovah please do not smoke them. It is gross and you will die. Smoking kills people, we have all seen the commercials that are meant to scare us but actually just creep us out. You know like the dude in the fault in our stars had the cigarette but never lit it, do that. Or just throw them away. But the point is not to support your nasty habit, it is because you can. That and voting are the only real things you gain by turning 18. OH and now you can be actually arrested, not like pretend arrested.

3. Get a Tattoo

Okay so this one might get you in some trouble. You know your parents better than I do so if you think your parents will get too mad then don't do it. Or do it and hide it. But if you were like me you have wanted a tattoo since you made your Pinterest. I got my first tattoo last week. Its a little symbol behind my ear that means life (because i'm a hippy like that). Tattoos are like forever and ever, so if you are planning on getting a XOXO, gossip girl on your butt. Don't. But if it is something with meaning and you don't think your parents will get too mad then do it. Live your life, and do you.

4. Register to vote

I could not care less if you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent or Libertarian, but your get your butt to the tag office and register to vote. It is your duty and right to vote. Like c'mon, you cannot talk about how bad of a state our country is in if you do not vote. That's like complaining that this is the worst pizza but not doing anything about it.

5. Cry because you are now an adult

You are 18 and can actually do stuff, like make your own doctor appointment.

6. Make your own doctor appointment

You are about to go to college and be on your own. We all know that doing a well child check up is out of the shoe string budget. But let's say you actually need to make an appointment for something. You think it's just a call but I'm pretty sure that you actually have to tell them information about yourself, so you might let your mom help you with this one.

7. Make some pretty great friends.

I was lucky enough to not have a problem finding the most lit friends ever. You are now an adult and probably in your senior year of high school or in there somewhere. They tell you these are the best years of your life and honestly there might be some truth to that. It very well could be the last time everyone is together. Live it up, and make friends with people you never thought you would.

8. Clean up your social media

This is not for everyone, but for some of you, this is a very needed thing. For crying out loud stop sharing stuff that is sexually explicit. I don't know if you're employed but if you aren't you wont be, and if you are you are reflecting on yourself in a negative way. Not to mention you are not impressing anyone, and if you are you my friend are impressing the wrong people.

9. Get a job

It might be a summer job, a seasonal job or just a babysitting job but you need a job. You are an adult now and you are unemployed. That's kinda scary. It's not that hard I think. I still have not done this. So nobody tell my mom I put this in here...

10. Realize that you are no longer a child

Yep, it's time to stop acting like a little kid and like an adult. Well, sorta.. Stop trying to place the blame on someone else. Stop waiting to clean till your mom is about to kill you. It's time that you realize that you are not ten anymore.

11. Learn to clean

You might not be on your own yet but you still need to learn to clean. Help you parents around the house, start a cleaning service, it does not matter. But you will have no friends and your roommate will hate you if you can't clean and live in a pig sty.

12. Learn to cook

I hate cooking. I can not cook it if it does not go in the microwave, and then sometimes I still screw it up. Yes, I'm not a good cook but I'm working on it. Nobody says you have to cook a five star meal (but if you do hit me up). Before getting too old you need to learn to cook more than Ramen, or your doctor and your granny will not be happy.

13. Start watching the news

This can go hand in hand with voting. Please don't be the person that everyone hates because they did not know what was in the news this morning. But then again that might just be might be my group of friends...

14. Spend time with your grandparents

Cmon... GO SEE YOUR GRANDPARENTS. You have to take time out of watching Spongebob to go see them. They might not be here for very much longer. As sad as that might be it's a thing. They love you and would do anything for you, and besides, they might have food.

15. Start taking school seriously

If you're not then start doing so. Do your homework, study, read, and take time on your posters and projects. You think the teachers want to take away from their family time to grade your late work? NO. College is right there. Remember that.

16. Start going to the gym

Get healthy. Find a gym buddy and head to the gym. Not because you're fat but because being healthy is important. We are adults now and apparently we need to watch that. But really, going to the gym is fun, and it makes you feel so so great. Give it a shot and who knows, you might love it. I know I don't go enough but adulthood can't happen all at once. You only have one body treat it like such.

17. Get on a sleep schedule

My mom told me to put this here. She said it is very "adulty"

18. Have fun

At the end of the day you are 18 and still have your whole life ahead of you. Live it up, have fun. But remember, you can get in actual trouble now..

While you might have just turned 18, you have a lot to do. Get to it now...

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

2367
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1421
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200666
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

21197
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments