Stuck in the Middle

 

My parents always tell me that your younger years are the best years of your life and maybe that's true if you're 8 years old and carefree.  Lately, I've been doing some deep thinking and I've realised that I am living through one of the most awkward and difficult times of my life which is late teens to early twenties.  When you reach this stage of your life, you are no longer a carefree child when everything is just handed to you but you are not yet a fully independent adult who can do everything for themselves.  You are smack bang in the middle!  You are expected to take on more responsibility and become more mature.  You need to learn to start doing things for yourself but you don't always have the means to do that.

 

For example:  I am an 18 year old Irish citizen.  I'm allowed to vote in elections, I can drive a car, I can drink alcohol and I can get paid minimum wage.  That's considered adult stuff, right?  That's because I'm considered an adult in the eyes of the state but I'm also a full time student.  I still need my parents to sign consent forms, I can't go to the bathroom without a teachers permission and I can't even study in a classroom without being supervised.  It's not like I'm going to set the place on fire!  If I'm considered an adult in society why am I treated like a baby in school?

 

Sticking with the topic of school, I'm currently facing a huge exam (The Leaving Cert).  At this moment in time the Leaving Cert is the be all and end all of my life and will determine my future (or so I'm told).  So, I spent my Easter holidays, not enjoying chocolate eggs, but stressing about the mountain of study I have to do, to ensure I get good results which will in turn allow me to go to college.  Just like with the Junior Cert, this exam will never be mentioned again once college begins but for now teachers are telling us it will be the end of your life if you fail.  Thank you, teachers, for easing the pressure!

 

As well as stressing about exams, we also have to choose our college courses and the college we would like to study in.  This is what really gets to me!  I'm sitting in class looking at my teacher like:

"Okay, you want me to choose the career that I'll be doing for the rest of my life and yet I can't go to the bathroom without asking you first?"

Honestly, teachers expect you to act like an adult by treating you like a child.

So those are just a few things that really push my buttons and why this is one of the most awkward and difficult times of my life and why I feel like I am really stuck in the middle.

PS. What's up with cinemas?  They offer children's tickets, adult's tickets, family tickets and student tickets but for college students only.  Last time I checked a secondary school student still counted as a student.  Instead I have to pay for an adult ticket because I'm too old to be a child and not quite old enough to be a student.  But of course I'm old enough to be an adult and pay the most for my ticket because secondary students all have jobs and can well afford it. (Sarcasm).

I promise my rant is over now.  Until next time I'll see ya when I see ya!

Blue-eyed Brunette.