Editor #47
Since the fourth quarter has begun, I understand your desire to graduate in a few months and be done with this phase of your life.
You are 18. This is significant because it indicates adulthood. However, there is a difference between just being 18 and actually acting like the adult that your age implies. To your parents, your transition into adulthood means that you should be more responsible for yourself, which includes maintaining good grades. If you are letting your grades slip, that does not prove to your parents that you are responsible for yourself.
The path that you decide to take after high school may not require you to have perfect grades. However, there is a certain amount of pride and feeling of accomplishment that comes with getting good grades. Consider getting an A or a B in a class like earning allowance or a salary (if you have a job). It is the proof that you have worked hard, and that you are capable of working even harder to attain success in the future. I understand that laziness is a very strong driving force in the life of a senior, but think about what is influencing you to be lazy; perhaps your technology (phone, computer, etc.) has stolen your attention away from your school work. In fact, as I am writing this advice, I have been glancing at my phone about every 30 seconds, and not even for important matters. As convenient and entertaining as technology is, there is one thing it cannot do: motivate you. However, that becomes a different story when you get it taken away; you work harder so you can get it back.
If you have not tried it already, you need to have a thorough discussion with your parents. I am sure that they have as many unanswered questions as you do regarding your role as a young adult. What can you do? What can’t you do? Your parents need to clarify the opportunities you have as well as your limitations. Perhaps you have not fully communicated to them what your real goals are and that has left them uneasy or concerned. As a result, this might have left a fault in their own communication with you. You can open this conversation with a simple, “I’m 18 and I am ready to prove to the both of you that I can be an independent adult like you.” If they try to oppose you, remember that this is only your very first year of adulthood. Consider it the test-run year because you have an entire lifetime to be an adult. Independence is not granted to you all at once. It is similar to being 13 and thinking that you were that much more independent because you became a “teenager.” However, unless you wanted to walk to the movie theatres, someone older had to drive you there so you could buy your first PG-13 movie ticket. Transitioning into another stage of your life takes smaller steps than you think.