Parents

independence
CultureEducation

Having a support system is invaluable. However, it is comforting to know that you could take care of yourself when you need to. This is an important idea, especially in the transitional time of college. College is when people usually move from home for the first time. It is also when you find out how much you have learned all those years at home.

I struggled with this concept a little bit myself. I did not learn to cook and do laundry until I was an adult. However, I did know how to do both by the time I moved out. I did not know how to drive at the time. It was troublesome being dependent on people to get around because you never know when their kindness or availability will run out. Once I had a final exam to get to but had no ride until the last possible moment. Had I missed it, I would have automatically failed the class even though I had gotten As in the course all semester. While classes only last a few weeks or months out of the year, mistakes in the real world can have more lasting consequences.

Independence comes with responsibility. That can be scary because the weight of bad choices is solely on you. Yet, we as people grow from our mistakes. It may hurt if you do something wrong, but if you remember how bad it feels, you likely won’t do it again. As time goes by, it is liberating to know what you are capable of.

We all become independent without consciously trying. We learn to walk so we do not have to be carried. We learn to write, read, and do math in school so it is almost effortless in our adulthood. We grow at different paces, but we are all heading to the same place. The best part is that once you can take care of yourself, you can be there for someone else.

You can manifest this plan in many ways. For example:

  1. Moving away. This demands that you take care of your own home. You are also managing yourself without constant parental supervision.
  2. Learn a skill. Be it cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening, driving, or something else you need. Once you can do it, you do not have to wait for someone else to do it for you.
  3. Getting a job means you can make money. Even if you don’t know how to cook, you can afford to go out to eat. Getting a job also has the added responsibility of clients or coworkers being dependent on you to get your job done.

I hope these tips help inspire you to go after what you want and to better understand the value of independence. With effort and time, you will be capable of earning it.

Image: Unsplash

tweet pic
CultureSkills

It is difficult in this day and age to find an individual who isn’t connected to one account or another. It’s surprising if someone can honestly say they don’t have at least one social media account. I was born into a generation that has never experienced a world without social media. I opened my first social media account at the ripe young age of 11 on MySpace (not the required minimum age of 13…shhh).

Since then, I’ve always had something. But it hit me this summer how dependent I’d become to social media. It was scary, to be honest. My usual morning routine always included checking Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook before heading out for the day. It isn’t fair to say that social media isn’t important because it definitely has its uses. Social media connects people in ways that never would’ve possible 20 years ago. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts can be used not only for personal reasons, but also as a way for potential employers to learn more about you. A well-managed social media account can say so much about a person. However, it’s nice to disconnect for a while. The longest I’ve lasted is a week without checking any of my social media accounts. I realize a week is not actually a long time, but short as it was, it was extremely refreshing. So give it a try! Who knows what you’ll learn about yourself.

A few tips for managing a successful social media account:

  • Show your personality, but be wary of what you post. Don’t anything that you might be ashamed of later.
  • Be sure you have permission when posting anything involving someone else.
  • Post a variety of things! Even the most artsy shots of any specific thing can get boring after a while.

The dangers of social media:

  • Customize your privacy settings. Some accounts, like Facebook, connect you with not only associates and co-workers, but also family and friends. You may post something intended for close family members to see but not anyone else, or vice-versa. Make sure your settings are air-tight.
  • As I mentioned before, just because a picture of you and friends having a night out might be of interest to others, that doesn’t mean that it should be posted. If maintaining an account with only one privacy option (like Instagram – either private or not private), be extra, extra picky with what gets posted.
  • To put it simply, don’t post anything that may come back to haunt you later. Our parents don’t have to worry about an impulsive tweet posted at 2 am when they were 18 coming popping up somewhere. We do.

We’d love to know - do you tweet?

Image: DeathtotheStockPhoto