By Rebecca Vitkus
Junior, English major

Somewhere between the moment I stepped foot onto the University of Florida campus last August and now, I became an adult. I’m not sure how it happened.

I didn’t become an adult the day I graduated from high school, the day I turned eighteen, or even the day I gained my independence and moved into college five hours from home. I’m not sure when it happened, but whether I like it or not, it has, and this is how I know for sure – I am now an adult.

You go to the grocery store and buy bread and milk – and that’s it. No candy, no soda, not even a Pop-Tart. Just the necessities.

Your friends are getting married and having babies, and you’re just wondering whether you’re going to eat real food for dinner tonight or settle for cereal. Again.

You get a headache from your amount of stress and lack of sleep, but you ran out of Advil.

You swipe your own debit card to buy whatever you need, and it physically hurts (kind of).

You actually try to eat healthful foods and go to the gym regularly. Apparently, that whole metabolism thing slows down eventually. Who knew?

You no longer toss every piece of clothing you wear into the laundry basket because you know you’re the one who has to wash everything now.

Your previously amateur cooking skills now include the ability to make pasta, salad, and anything that can go in the microwave. (Ok, so maybe this hasn’t totally reached the “adult” level yet, but you’re on your way!)

Whether you were biting your fingernails waiting for the moment you gained your independence, or you would do absolutely anything to go back to pre-school for a day or two, just face it: You’re an adult. Love it or hate it, dreading graduation or can’t wait to move on, as it’s been said before – this may not be the party you were looking for, but while you’re here, you might as well dance!