The biggest disease affecting twenty-somethings.

"Your twenties are for you!"
"Don't settle down, this time is about discovering yourself, making mistakes, and doing what YOU want!"
"Don't get married! You need to date around!"
"Don't settle with your first boyfriend, date guys, LOTS of guys, so you know what you want!"
"If you ever can't pay for something, Mom and Dad are here to help you. ALWAYS!"
"Don't get a job in college! I want you to 'focus on your studies!'"

If I did a search on advice for college-aged twenty-somethings, I would be besieged with blog posts restating the previous statements. If you're friends with a twenty-something on Facebook you've probably seen posts/pictures/blogs about what the 20's are for. I.e. "46 reasons to be single in college." "23 Reasons not to get engaged before 23" "40 reminders for your College Years." OR the pictures that say, "All my friends are getting married and here I am -insert something "better" here-." OR the posts that complain about someone posting too many pictures of their babies/dogs/husbands etc.

Well, let me tell you, this selfishness is the biggest disease affecting twenty-somethings. It is making our twenty-somethings lazy, self-serving, and immature. People my age will soon be in charge of government, health care, education, and many other important aspects of society, and we need to be constantly working to become strong, mature, and selfless adults that can lead out country to prosperity.

So, here is my list of "Eight things to remember in your twenties."

1) Once you turn 18 your parents owe you nothing.
Your parents have an inherent obligation to support you financially and emotionally until you turn eighteen. That's a given, but once you have moved out and are on your own, you are responsible for yourself. Your parents don't have to pay for your car, your college, or for you to go out with your friends, and they shouldn't have to.

2) Until you're totally independent, your parents get a "say" in your life.
Number one being said, I know how difficult it is to become independent in college. If your parents are still providing for you like you are a child, then they reserve the right to control certain aspects of your life.

3) Your twenties are a time to become fiscally responsible.
Sure, your parents might be paying for your tuition and a little spending money, but what happens when you graduate and you realize you have no savings and debt to top it off? Even if you're lucky enough to land a job right after graduation, you still have to pay for moving expenses, and let me tell you, that's not cheap! So, GET A JOB. Even if it's just a few hours a week it will go a long way toward helping you become self-sufficient.

4) You are responsible for your actions whether you are five, twenty, forty-five, or ninety years old.
Almost all of the articles that are popular encourage twenty-somethings to go crazy whether it's with alcohol, food, or with the opposite sex. When you're standing before God when you die, do you think he's going to say, "Ahhh, that's okay, you were twenty!"? I don't think so. That's not even mentioning the earthly consequences of our actions.

5) The decisions you make now will follow you for the rest of your life.
If you are irresponsible, my guess is you won't be building a good foundation for the rest of your life. If you work hard and smart in your twenties, you'll be setting yourself up for a great future in your thirties, instead of  spending your thirties doing damage control.

6) Promiscuity is never okay.
Let me introduce you to the duct tape theory. Every time you put duct tape on something, a little bit of the adhesive comes off. The more you move your duct tape around the less sticky it becomes, until eventually it won't be able to stick anymore. The same is true with relationships--especially physical relationships. There are serious physical repercussions that come along with sexual activity: namely parenthood and STIs. You have a responsibility to yourself and the person you're dating to be responsible and not create unneeded baggage for your future spouses.

7) College is not intended to be a party.
Partying is talked about just as much or more than classes, and that's sad. If people got just as excited for classes and homework as they did for the parties, our world would be an entirely different place. I'm not saying don't go to parties, but I am saying be smart about it. Your education should always be your first priority.

8) Your representation of yourself matters.
One day, you're going to apply for jobs. Do you think you're going to get a good reference from the professor of a class that you always went to five minutes late, hungover, and in sweatpants? Or if you always talked with a neighbor in class instead of taking notes? Probably not. There's a good chance a possible employer might know a professor you took classes under and call them to check on you whether or not you listed that professor as a reference. Be respectful in class, no matter how uninteresting or unimportant you may find it.


I'm sure plenty of people will disagree with this list. But, I'd like to see in ten years where the people who worked a good job, got good grades, participated in scholarly activities, and acted more responsibly are as opposed to the people reading and sharing these "Your twenties are for -insert immature actions here-."