Division and Classification Essay of the Stages of Growing Up

From the date of childbirth and lying in the hospital bed while a mother gently cradles a baby in her arms, to the day a person may find himself lying six feet under; there has become an apparent process which every human must proceed through in order to truly and fully grow up. This process may be called the stages of life, and there are three major steps that an individual must overcome: childhood, college, and having a family.

For a kid, having a parent or guardian is like having a shadow cast over him, being influenced and restricted in the manner of which he lives. Until the shadow is lifted and a child is no longer pressed down by the parents’ rules, the stage may be classified as part of the childhood. Granted, teenagers are not typically labeled as children-being that they defy and revolutionize the rules of society- but because there is still that limitation, they may not proceed into the next stage of life. Childhood is not a stage to be rushed through like a NASCAR race; it must be enjoyed, cherished, and squeezed for everything that it is worth.

Personally, childhood has been a roller coaster ride of experiences, emotions, and friends. During a majority of years in the childhood stage, life seemed to be on the front car of the coaster, moving up the chain and causing my breath to be taken away. For starters, some of the most memorable vacations took place during these years: London, San Francisco, Orlando, Chicago, and Manhattan are but a few of the many cities and locations I have traveled through during the summer months. Along the lines of school work, I achieved phenomenal grades and my parents couldn’t be any more pleased. The social scene, however, was a slight bump in the road due to my shy, drawn back, turtle like personality. Other than that, life was but a piece of candy: sweet and delicious with more flavor to come. As a famous phrase once said, “Chew only what you can swallow.” As a child gets older, he may tend to bite off more than he may chew, leaving his parents in charge of resuscitating him if need be.

During the later part of my childhood, I in fact did chew more than I could swallow. With school work piling up to the ceiling, work consuming time, and friends being the priority, I was unable to keep a clear mind and may have possibly made some negative decisions. During childhood, it is best to expel these temptations because it may be forgiven and forgotten thanks to the innocence that children are well known to possess. This typically takes place during the end of childhood, when the child is ready to step out of the bounds of the home, and step into the world of college.

It is the end of summer and all the bags and boxes are packed with clothes and other necessities; it is time for the drive and drop-off at the college steps of the student’s choice. It may sound harsh, but this is the time for the parents to back off and let their child relish in their new found freedom. Besides, it is best to leave the kids alone in order for them to become more self-controlled, self-conscious, and self-disciplined people (parallel).

From stepping into the dorm, a college type apartment, new experiences begin right off the bat. The idea of dorming is new for the majority of college bound freshman but allows for more ample opportunities to live with others, while attempting to get along. For those students who were very dependent on their parents, college may provide a rude awakening; no more will anyone tell you to wake up, do your homework, and eat healthy. This liberation may be taken too far, though, which is why a student must have control of their thinking and actions.

Getting trashed and having sex may be the desires of many college freshmen when starting off, and classes are but a secondary concern, stored in the back of mind (apposition). As the work piles high as a mountain and a student finds himself on the edge, about to fall, reality hits. Students will soon discover that classes are the priority, because without them, the student cannot expect to progress in life, or to progress into the next stage in life. This is typically why college staff and security are typically lenient when it comes to partying and drinking. They wish for the students to have a good time and also to clear out this party crave from the body’s system so that when a student graduates, he will be ready to take part as a mature, sophisticated, and well mannered adult.

As an adult, the usual routine follows as such: Starting a career, meeting someone, falling in love, getting married, and having kids. These are not easy tasks to accomplish though. It takes persistency, dedication, and time management in order to complete these tasks successfully. Being fresh out of college and having a degree will aid tremendously to begin the chain of events which will set up a person for the rest of his life. There are no guarantees, however, when stepping out of the college doors into the harsh reality of the world.

It is not as simple as one, two, and three to get a career and find the right person to marry. For starters, it takes time and patience to right a resume with college credentials, and then proceed onto sending it out to various job openings and then go for an interview where a person is left to grovel and please like a child on their knees. Nevertheless, once the job is obtained, it is time to go bar hopping and mixing and mingling to find that special someone out there. This may take some time, also, considering the number of people out there who aren’t meant for each. If a person would rather just jump into a relationship blindly, though, and start a family quick, it is perfectly normal. Just don’t be surprised when a divorce comes down later on the road, leaving a person half broke and near bankruptcy. If a person is willing to take the time and get to know the person and know that they’re like peanut butter and jelly; that may be the better option. Besides, raising a child in a broken home with constant fighting is not the best environment for a child, unless the parents wish to send the child to years of therapy and counseling sessions.

As an adult, it is the responsibility of the adult to keep up finances so that the child may have a more opportunistic childhood. Keeping up finances will also make the step the child takes into the college world easier and more flowing, like butter being used to remove a ring off a finger. With a higher economic status, an adult may retire comfortably as well while the child takes his steps into the college world and eventually become individual, self-supporting adults like the parents.

Childhood, college, and adulthood are the three basic, yet the most important steps of a person’s lifetime. These stages allow for progress and growth of the mind, body, and soul of an individual. It gives the ample time needed to grow up and let a person truly discover himself. Without these steps, a person may be left confused, skeptical, and doubtful in the manner of which he lived his life. These steps, although big and scary at times, are the support system in which a person may grow up and have children of their own, who will proceed through the same exact process.