These past few weeks have been new and exciting. While some are finishing up their college careers, some, like me, are just starting now. I recently turned 18 and was stunned when I found out I couldn't have my mom call the doctor for me anymore just to fill a simple prescription. Going through a lot of these changes this summer have made me wonder. What defines adulthood?

The dictionary defines an adult as someone havingattainedfullsizeandstrength;grownup;mature. As someone who is only 5'1", I really wish that I haven't attained full size, although I really need to accept at this point that I'm going to be this small forever.

But why are we, at 18, automatically considered adults who have successfully matured to their fullest? One day I was 17, still a child and the next, I was 18 and told I could conquer life on my own. I surely hope that at only 18 we still have chances to grow and change. I believe that maturity is based on experiences, and I feel as though our biggest life experiences have just begun. Already I have experienced more in the two days I've been at college than I ever thought possible. It makes me wonder if we ever completely mature and develop to our fullest. Life is constantly changing. 10 years ago, I would have thought you were crazy if you told me that I would have a cellular device that would give me access to pretty much any information I wanted. If you asked an 85-year-old man if he felt that he was fully mature at the age of 18, do you think he would say yes? Because I feel as though he would say the opposite. Although we are legally "adults," we are still young human beings who have yet to figure out the full range of possibilities in this strange place we call life.

Maybe being an adult symbolizes the point in life of where we do not need our parents to survive anymore (although they still may feel the need to parent us). Our brains are developed enough that we can go out and make our own decisions, however positive or negative. Although the brain does not fully mature until the age of 25, we are still capable of having some sort of common sense, hopefully. Or maybe you're an adult when you can somewhat cook and do laundry on your own? All I know is that although I'm 18, I'm still figuring stuff out. I'm still navigating through my first taste of complete independence and freedom.

So now, I have a different definition.

Adult -- a person who, while legally defined as mature by law, is navigating through the waters of life in hopes of achieving success while experiencing independence that they did not otherwise have before.