By: NATHANIEL ROBINSON
(Taken and tweaked from my UC Common App)
The scariest thing about growing up is the impending doom of responsibility. I think we all know when it’s coming. When our moms say that things in the house are going to change, or when we realize that the grade we’re moving up to is a lot more demanding. The smell of responsibility in the air can really get to you as a high school student. However, I don’t think responsibilities ever stop when you reach a certain age. There’s always something that’s expected of you. Growing up as a kid, there was always something expected of me too. Feeding our dog and cleaning the house, but as I get older the responsibilities become more and more impactful.
Driving is one of the most scary responsibilities to take on as a teenager. The semi-awareness of the road and “half knowledge” of traffic laws is naturally not enough. So, you start to take driver’s ed. But the further you go down that rabbit hole, the more you realize that maybe driving isn’t exactly what you thought it was. Finally getting on that road makes you wish you were 14 again when there was an actual excuse for you not to have your license. Instead, you’re 17 with places to be and a mom who doesn’t take excuses or gives free rides without a 2-week notice. I always brushed driving to the side, telling myself I’d knock it out of the park once I got to the age where I could start. Now, I have a responsibility. A responsibility to not only complete the ed program exceptionally but also drive safely once I reach that point. Teenagers also do have the best reputation on the road, so I have a personal responsibility to make sure that I’m not one in that statistic. Of course, with time, that responsibility will morph into one that comes more naturally to me. At this moment, however, it’s the most horrific one of all.
Aside from the havoc of learning how to drive, maintaining a job is also pretty scary! Just the process is nerve wreaking. Wondering if you’re better or worse than everyone else who applied to the same position; the interview with questions you didn’t prepare for. If you get past that daunting process, then comes the first day. My first day was surprisingly relaxing; however, it was the calm before the storm. My second day was armageddon. I was all over the place, trying to help as many people as possible. It’s a lot for a teenager who barely knows how to fix up their own chocolate milk. Even the thought of working is a lot more stressful than anything I’ve ever had to think about, even schoolwork! Speaking of school…
SCHOOL IS THE SCARIEST RESPONSIBILITY A TEENAGER CAN EVER MAINTAIN. The responsibility of making sure I’m maintaining the grades that allow me to be a part of things like CSF while balancing my extracurricular activities is way more than what I was prepared for. Making sure things are turned in on time as well. Now picture ALL of that school stuff on top of working AND on top of learning to drive. It’s a lot to put on one’s shoulders, and while the majority of us manage, I think teenagers deserve a bit more respect for the amount of learning and adapting that they have to do.