So I’m a little on the younger side… I turn 18 in 2026 and have already graduated high school. What should I expect? Is it any different from being 17, especially with my experiences and being a year ahead of my other 17-year-old peers? I was in my senior year when they were juniors.
Nothing to change except for a lot more legal liability / responsibility to be on you and not your parents. Also, as you have to pay for more and more of your own existence by working as much as is required you’ll find within a couple years your best “nothing to do” / “time to kill” hours are behind you. Time for hobbies and gaming and stuff will be at a premium and unless you get wealthy and / or forego having kids, it’ll just keep shrinking away. Make sure you find ways to feel fulfilled by the ways you spend the time you do have, and don’t make the serious mistake of shorting yourself on sleep. You wanna live long and well, you want to sleep more. Don’t start drinking, by the way, even when you’re 21. Isn’t remotely worth it.
Gl;hf!
Thank you!!
Nothing changes, like others have been saying, except for legal stuff and independence. If you go to college, you can get a well-paying job and not end up like me.
Nothing changes, except for more legal independence and liability.
Skip on smoking. It’s literally burning your money away.
Separate work from life and join a union if you can, or support them. Don’t bust yourself with hatred, fear, or concern over things that you can’t personally affect.
Financially, spare money, and prepare your own food. And … find your own joy in life.
You just get more responsibility and are more liable for things. That’s pretty much it.
You’re not an adult yet other than the legal definition.
It’s going to take some time before you find yourself, but if you were artificially limited in pursuing that due to age restricted things (getting an apartment, signing a loan, etc.) then now you have the tools to go find yourself.
But I’d hurry, not sure how much longer the world as we know it is going to last.
