As most of us are university students, many of us turn 21 by the time we are about halfway through college. Now that the legal age is slowly approaching, does it actually feel different or special in any way? Because I have gone through this exact same stage and feeling, here are some of my thoughts on finally being legal.

As a young child, I thought the age of 21 was such a huge step forward and a milestone in my life. I thought that I would literally feel different and somewhat like a new person right when I turned 21. However, that was definitely not the case for me. Now that I am 21, I don't feel much different than I did when I was younger. In fact, I feel like I am growing up a bit too fast. I always wanted to grow older when I was younger, but now that I actually am 21, I feel that I want to be younger again. This weird feeling of being 21 and realizing that many adult responsibilities will hit me very soon is quite daunting.

Being legal only sounds nice, but it is in fact extremely stressful and burdening. There are so many things that I have to take into consideration in that I am in fact no longer a child dependent on my parents anymore. Because I have become a fully capable adult, there are many tasks and duties that I now have to perform by myself and take charge of my own life and future. 21 is definitely a milestone in my life, but not the milestone that I had in mind. However, I am still glad and very appreciative that this is a "professional" milestone. One day or another, we have to start taking control and charge of our own lives and futures.

However, 21 is still a very confusing age and time for many of us students. Many of us are still trying to find ourselves while there are others who are taking huge strides towards their professional and personal relationships. People who are 21 are at such different stages of our lives that it is very difficult to put an exact feeling of being 21. Turning 21 and being legal becomes so different depending on our lives and backgrounds that everyone has their own unique experiences.

One thing that I can definitely say though, is that being 21 feels different if you act upon it. Turning 21 itself has no meaning unless you choose to act upon what you do and you choose to grow up and take charge of your own life and future. So, although we are still in university and being 21 opens up so many doors for us, in terms of professional and social life, remember to take charge of your own life and you want you future to be, because in the end, it is all up to you.