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Writing the Common App 2016-17 Essay Prompt #5 – Childhood to Adulthood Transition

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With the release of the 2016-17 Common Application essay prompts on August 1, 2016, there has come a flurry of questions, especially on what and how to write the personal statement . Furthermore, the fifth prompt for the Common App, which focuses on the transition from childhood to adulthood, can seem hefty, and people tend to write long books about coming of age. How are you supposed to condense that into an essay under 650 words?

This guide will help you approach and tackle the fifth prompt, and will guide you in writing a thoughtful reflection of yourself as a person and a college applicant. Because the Common App essay is sent to most of the schools you apply to (and is, therefore, not school-specific), this is your chance to paint a picture of yourself entirely free of school names and to add character to your transcript.

Check out our guide below to developing and executing your personal statement strategy in response to the fifth Common Application prompt.

Breaking Down the Prompt

The fifth prompt for the Common App Essay of the 2016-17 admissions cycle:

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

What does this mean? Basically, the prompt asks you to tell a coming of age story. In other words, you must reflect on a specific accomplishment or event within a group you belong to — your culture, community, or family — and show how you grew, both as a member of the group, but, more importantly, how this was a transition for you as an individual.

What is the Purpose of this Prompt?

In order to better approach your answer to this prompt, you should first consider why this question would be asked on a college application. For one, each college is a group, just like any culture, community, or family. There are rules and standards that each member agrees to that allow the group to function efficiently. In considering your application, admissions officers are trying to imagine you in their community — how and where you would find a place in and contribute to their community, how their group would fit and welcome you, and how you would make their community better.

In your response to this prompt, they want to see that you have an understanding of what makes a community and that you are aware of your place in it. This is your chance to show that you are aware of your role in both your own life and in others’.

Additionally, colleges ask this question because they want to see personal growth. While your transcript, honors, and list of extracurricular activities can show at face value that you have grown in academic and extracurricular pursuits, colleges want to see this embodied in all aspects of your life — even the ones that do not get awarded or recorded on paper. In this prompt, you can illustrate how you have grown as a person, not just as a student, during the formative period of high school.

Finally, colleges want to hear you tell a story about yourself. They want to know what’s important to you and how you define yourself in your own terms. They will read recommenders’ letters about you, but, ultimately, the person who will step onto their campus will be you. For that reason, they want to see how you carry yourself. They want to watch you be creative and thoughtful because this will reflect what you bring to their school.

For thousands of years, stories have been very important to humankind and how humans perceive each other. This is your chance to tell a piece of your own story. Because you are given an option of where to focus your essay — between community, culture, or family – you need to make a choice!

Below you will find an examination of each option to help you choose the one that best suits you. When you have decided upon a community, culture, or family to write about, you will then be better able to identify a transition from childhood to adulthood to write about, along with deciding upon a message and streamlining your ideas.

Consider the Prompt: Communities

If you immediately have an idea about a community you belong to, write down your initial thoughts, and do not worry about having streamlined ideas just yet. If you do not have any ideas right away, or if you’re struggling to come up with more than a couple ideas, start considering your definition of a group or community.

Begin with the question of what makes and what breaks a group. From there, examine which groups in your life you belong to. Move through different types of groups. Perhaps you are a part of your school choir or a sports team — clearly defined, organized groups. Did you have a coming-of-age transition in one of these groups? Along with thinking about leadership roles you may have had in these groups, consider how day-to-day interactions might have changed to reflect a transition.

Then, consider other identifiers that tie you to groups — maybe you love romance novels or have curly hair. How do these identities lead to the creation of groups and communities? How can you transition from child to adult within them?

Take, for example, height. If you are especially short, you might have spent your whole life wishing to be taller. But, maybe there was a moment when another short person (someone you knew or even a stranger) showed you how to embrace your height. How did that change you? How did that moment change how you felt about yourself and your place in the community? Be sure to reflect on this moment transitorily for you as an individual and for you as part of a community.

Consider the Prompt: Culture

Another group to consider your place in is your culture. When you begin to write about your culture, the best place to start is often with a free write to get ideas flowing without the structure of the college essay in mind. You may realize that something that seemed unfit for a college essay could actually be your best idea.

Begin by asking yourself what defines your culture. Is it the food you eat? The music you listen to? The clothing you wear? How does your culture smell? Sound? Feel? What are your traditions? When someone mentions your culture what is the first thing that comes to mind? The first image you see? The first feeling? Are you overwhelmed or underwhelmed by your culture? Start by exploring what your culture is.

What you might think is totally commonplace, natural, and understood by everyone may actually be more unique than you realize.

Additionally, look to older people in your culture and ask them both about their experiences with your culture in general, but also about their childhood-to-adulthood transitions within the culture. Like a journalist, observe! You are gathering information for your story. It may also help you to read authors from within your culture who have discussed this coming-of-age transition.

Often the best way to know what you do and do not want to write about is to read other authors on a subject, and identify what resonates with you and what you disagree on. If you do not have a lot of time to read, even a few short stories might help. After all, your essay has a limit of 650 words and noticing how short story authors craft their words and plots to fit smaller spaces but still carry big meaning can only help you.

O ther forms of art within your culture such as music, poetry, movies, and visual arts, may help you generate ideas as well. What do they identify with? What sticks out to them? What do they love about your culture? What about it do they struggle with? How does this compare to your relationship with your culture?

It also may help to read authors and observe artists from other cultures discuss the transition from childhood to adulthood, as the differences and similarities they identify in transitioning within cultures will help you further consider what is important to include in your essay. Everybody must grow up some day — how does this process change within cultures? How does it stay the same? What will this mean for your essay?

Consider the Prompt: Families

The third type of group you can write about experiencing a childhood-to-adulthood transition is families. With families, you should start with the question of what makes a family. Specifically, what makes your family? Or, how do you define your family? Is it the people you live with, or all of your relatives and anyone who could be remotely tied to you? Does biology matter? Do you choose your family or does your family choose you? Is there any choice?

Remember that, while we often see families as determined by blood ties, there are other types of families, too. What makes a family different from a community or culture? Could a family also be a community or culture?

As with writing about a culture, when writing about your family, it may help to read the work of other authors writing about coming of age experiences, especially under the lens of family. What marked their transition from childhood to adulthood in that context? Was it losing a member of the family? Or perhaps gaining a new one? Was it moving as a family? How did they recognize this transition?

It is also worth asking your own family members if they have observed any such transition for you. Or, if the transition was marked and announced (maybe your parents told you it was time for you to make your own money, or that you had to start taking care of your younger siblings), why did they decide upon that age? Had they planned it, or did they notice something in you that made them think you were ready?

While you may not feel comfortable discussing your essay plans with family members, asking them what they have noticed can provide important insight from someone who is close to you (whether just in proximity or also in feeling) and who has seen you change over more time than a teacher could.

When writing about your family, be aware of family dynamics and relationships that you know about and comprehend, but remember that admissions officers might not understand. Imagine yourself from the perspective of an admissions officer reading hundreds of essays — they need more guidance than someone who knows you and your family.

But, be careful not to spend the whole time explaining the dynamics of your family tree. If you need to explain a complicated relation, try writing it out several different times until you feel it is as clear and concise as possible but still supports your essay. Strike a balance between illustrating your story and allowing room for reflection.  

Next Step: The Transition from Childhood to Adulthood

In writing for the fifth prompt, it may also help you to consider the boundaries of childhood and adulthood. Because leaving for college marks, for many, the first real departure from home, parents, and the familiar, it is often tied up in understandings of childhood and adulthood, as we often associate children with their parents, while adults stand alone.

How does the transition you have already experienced help you understand what college will mean for you? Show that you are thinking about how college will fit into your life — how it will be different from what you have known, but also how (because of the coming of age transition that you experienced) you are ready to handle this new, more independent experience.

Additionally, when you write your essay, make clear how you knew this transition occurred. While it may have been clear to you that a certain event or accomplishment marked a transition to adulthood in your community, culture, or family, it is not necessarily clear to the reader. Even if it is, it is important to expand and reflect upon what those seemingly-obvious events and signals stand for and why they are recognized as such. Show colleges that you reflect on your surroundings and your life — that you are ready for the next level of thinking.

Pick a Specific Moment or Accomplishment

When you have picked what type of group you are going to write about and identify your coming-of-age transition, pick a specific moment or accomplishment to write about. It should be easily identified and distinct. That is, you should be able to summarize it in one or two sentences.

Starting with a single moment or accomplishment will allow you to move outwards, from specific moment to expanding on your culture, community, or family, to a reflection that answers the prompt. While you do not have to follow this order exactly, these are the three main components your essay will need (see the section “Streamlining Your Ideas” below) and starting with a small moment or detail will provide a lens with which to view the whole essay.

How Does this Transition Prepare You for College?

Once you have a moment picked, answer how this transition prepares you for college. Because your ultimate goal is to get into college and because the admissions officers are ultimately trying to decide whether or not you will fit at their college, your essay should aim to illustrate how this transition prepared you for college, along with adulthood.

It is okay if your essay has elements that are sad. The reality is that transitions and change are often painful. Acknowledging this is reasonable and can show an honest approach to the prompt. But, be sure your essay is not overwhelmed by sadness, especially not self-pity. Make sure to end with an upbeat tone so that readers can see how you have learned and grown from this experience. Try to emphasize how this change, however bittersweet, equipped you to move forward onto the next big transition in your life: college.

Streamlining Your Ideas

When you have finished brainstorming, you should have a good idea of what you want your essay to be about. While it is up to you how you order and structure your essay, be sure you have intention behind all of the choices you make in your writing.

For some, it may be helpful to write an outline, whether brief or detailed, beforehand to imagine the structure. For others, it may be easier to write the essay and then go back through to make sure the prompt is answered thoroughly and clearly. No matter how your process flows, your essay should end up covering three things:

• A single moment or accomplishment that marked your transition or one of your transitions from child to adult, situated within your culture, community, or family.
• Your culture, community, or family and why and how that contributes to your identity as a child and adult.
• A reflection on the importance of this transition and a look toward your future in college.

If you structure your essay well and cover these three key elements, you should have answered the prompt thoroughly and clearly, one of the main objectives in writing a personal statement. From there, you can work to embellish with style, theme, and word choice. With hard work, you will have crafted a strong and well-written college essay!

Style, Theme, and Word Choice

Always be sure to define any words or traditions that your reader might not know, and never assume your reader knows what you are talking about. Stylistically, using words from another language adds a deeper level to your essay. It is interesting to the ear, breaking up the familiar flow of English, and shows special knowledge on your part.

Be careful not to use too many foreign words — you do not want to appear to be showing off or distracting from your story, and you do not want to take up too much space defining terms. If there are many foreign words you would like to use, try to narrow down your list to a few distinct-sounding words that can be easily and clearly defined.

Additionally, be careful when toeing the line between reflective essay and creative writing. While you want to experiment with style and different storylines, you should keep in mind that you are writing to admissions officers and that your goal is to show how you are the best applicant for a college education. Admissions officers read hundreds of essays each day, and do not have time to interpret the meaning of your essay if it is not immediately clear.

When you are finished with your first draft, go back through and look to see that you have made some sort of point in favor of yourself. While it does not have to be stated explicitly, there should at least be an implicit thesis. Striking a balance between storytelling and reflection is critical.

Finally, use metaphors carefully. It is easy to get lost in a metaphor and use it as a crutch for your points. Before you use a metaphor, ask yourself, “Does this make sense?” and, “Will this provide clarity for my reader?” If you are planning to use an extended metaphor throughout the essay, consider, “Has this been done before?” If so, how can you do it better? How can you shine light on a seemingly cliché subject and bring new life to it for the admissions officers. Through your writing choices, show that you are a unique candidate.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do make sure that your essay is ultimately celebrating you. While your culture, community, or family are important parts of the story you’re telling, your essay should be designed to place your personality, experiences, and accomplishments in the context of that environment. It might help to go through with two different colored highlighters and highlight times you talked about yourself versus times you talked about others.

Make sure the essay focuses on you, as you are the actual applicant they are considering. Do not sell yourself short just because there is no official stamp or certificate to accompany your accomplishments in your transition to adulthood. Remember that traditional definitions of experience are not the only thing colleges are looking for. For example, while you might not be classically trained in music, you may play some piano and write songs with your friends, or you may be in charge of leading songs around the campfire at summer camp.

Well-written essays on such topics can be just as effective as the story of the classically trained pianist. Do relax: you don’t have to answer every question posed in this post. These questions are designed to help get you thinking about the message you want to send and how you are going to approach the prompt, but do not stress if you cannot answer them all in your essay. In fact, you probably cannot.

Instead, focus on including only what is most important. And, finally, do edit your essays. Editing is an essential part of the writing process and college essays can be tricky because they are unlike most of the writing typically taught in high school. For more help with mastering the style of the college essay, be sure to look into CollegeVine essay editing services , which offer the thorough and informative feedback needed to craft words into strong writing.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Essay on Life Is a Journey

Students are often asked to write an essay on Life Is a Journey in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Life Is a Journey

The concept of life.

Life is often compared to a journey. Just like a journey, life has a beginning and an end. We are born, we grow, and we eventually pass away.

Paths in Life

In our life journey, we traverse different paths. Some paths are smooth, others are rocky. These paths represent the challenges and triumphs we face.

Travel Companions

On this journey, we are never alone. We meet people who become our companions. They help us navigate our path and make our journey worthwhile.

Lessons Learned

Life, like any journey, teaches us valuable lessons. These lessons shape us into who we are and guide us towards our destination.

In conclusion, life is a journey filled with experiences and lessons. Embrace the journey and cherish every moment.

250 Words Essay on Life Is a Journey

The metaphor of life.

Life is often compared to a journey, a metaphorical concept that demonstrates the progression of life from birth to death. This journey is not merely a physical one, but rather a voyage of self-discovery, personal growth, and understanding.

Unpredictability and Challenges

The unpredictability of life’s journey is what makes it thrilling and daunting at the same time. We encounter various challenges, obstacles, and detours that test our resilience. These obstacles can be seen as opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow, shaping our personalities and perspectives.

Companionship on the Journey

Life’s journey is also marked by the companions we meet along the way. These relationships, whether they last a lifetime or a fleeting moment, can have a profound impact on our journey. They provide us with valuable lessons about empathy, love, and the importance of connection.

Appreciating the Journey

The journey of life is not just about reaching a destination. It’s about appreciating the journey itself, the experiences, and the growth that comes with it. It’s about understanding that each step, each decision, and each experience, positive or negative, contributes to our overall journey.

In conclusion, life’s journey is a complex tapestry of experiences, lessons, and relationships. It is unpredictable, challenging, and filled with opportunities for growth. As we navigate through it, we must remember to appreciate the journey, the companions we meet, and the lessons we learn. After all, life is not just about the destination but the journey itself.

500 Words Essay on Life Is a Journey

The metaphor of life as a journey.

The metaphor of life as a journey is a profound and timeless one. It illustrates the process of human existence, from birth to death, as a voyage filled with experiences, challenges, and learning. This metaphor encourages us to perceive life not as a destination but as a journey, where the ultimate goal is not to reach a particular endpoint, but to grow, learn, and evolve along the way.

Stages of the Journey

The journey of life is composed of several stages. Each stage represents a unique phase of our life, marked by distinctive challenges and opportunities for growth. The stages begin with childhood, a time of innocence and discovery. This stage is followed by adolescence, a period of exploration and self-definition. Adulthood comes next, bringing with it the responsibilities of career, family, and society. Finally, old age is a time for reflection, wisdom, and acceptance.

Challenges and Growth

Just as any journey is fraught with obstacles and difficulties, so too is the journey of life. These challenges, however, should not be seen as deterrents but as opportunities for growth and self-improvement. They provide us with the chance to learn about our strengths and weaknesses, to develop resilience, and to cultivate empathy and understanding towards others. Each challenge we overcome makes us stronger and more capable, shaping us into the individuals we become.

The Importance of the Journey

The essence of the journey metaphor lies in its emphasis on the process, rather than the destination. It teaches us to value the experiences and lessons we gain along the way, rather than fixating on a final goal. This perspective encourages us to live in the present, to appreciate our current circumstances, and to make the most of every moment. It reminds us that the journey itself is the reward, and that every step we take is a part of our personal growth and evolution.

The Role of Companionship

No journey is meant to be undertaken alone. Companionship plays a crucial role in our life’s journey. Our companions – family, friends, mentors – provide us with support, guidance, and encouragement. They share in our joys and sorrows, help us navigate through difficulties, and enrich our journey with their presence. Companionship adds depth and meaning to our journey, making it all the more worthwhile.

Conclusion: The Journey Continues

In conclusion, life is a journey filled with stages, challenges, growth, and companionship. It is a voyage that provides us with countless opportunities to learn, evolve, and become better versions of ourselves. As we navigate through this journey, it is important to remember that the value lies not in the destination, but in the journey itself. As we continue on our path, let us cherish our experiences, learn from our challenges, appreciate our companions, and above all, enjoy the journey. Because, in the end, life is not about where we are going, but how we get there.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on My First Train Journey
• Essay on An Unforgettable Journey
• Essay on A Memorable Journey

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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Emerging Adult Essay: Life Moving Forward: A Personal Perspective on Transitioning Into Adulthood

• Published: May 2017
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Throughout life, transitions can create some of the most daunting experiences anyone will encounter. Leaving school, finding a job, moving out on your own, finding someone to share your life with—these all constitute life transitions and events that force everyone to look outside of their comfort zone to formulate a solution. Everyone dreads the change, but we all must face it head-on and accept the challenge of something different. For people with disabilities these changes may be overwhelming and, at times, debilitating. The key to success while transitioning is having attained the proper skill set to help overcome whatever transitional barrier(s) your particular disability mandates.

I am a 25-year-old male who was born and raised in Virginia. I am someone who, I hope and believe, has successfully transitioned to adulthood, though not without both ups and downs. Because I was born with cerebral palsy (CP), I use a power wheelchair to help me get around and accomplish daily tasks. I graduated from college in the fall of 2013. There I created my own disability advocacy degree under the interdisciplinary studies major titled “Advocacy for Social Justice.” I also majored in sociology and have a minor in psychology. Some of my hobbies include hanging out with friends and family, watching sports of all kinds, and working with individuals with disabilities. Until recently, when I opened my consulting business, I never held a full-time job, having only interned at all of my employment experiences. These internships include two federal and one state government entity and a disability resource center. Additionally, I have worked on a congressional campaign. I hope my experiences help to motivate you, whether you’re a student or a teacher reading this essay, to take control of your transition process or to help someone effectively transition to adulthood.

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How Childhood Experiences Affect Adulthood

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Introduction

Psychological experiences, cultural experiences, physical and emotional experiences, conclusions, works cited.

How do childhood experiences affect adulthood? The essay on this page discusses this question.

Childhood experiences are the ordeals or bringing up conditions one undergoes through as a child. These experiences could be emotional, psychological, physical, cultural or even sexual. Childhood experiences play a significant role in shaping our views as adults in many ways, for instance, the way we behave, thinking, feel, act, associate and many other ways.

To begin with, a child who never had time to interact with other kids or locked up during his/her childhood will portray anti-social behaviors. Children who never experienced love from their parents and other family members will depict irresponsible behaviors in adulthood, as they are unable to express the same feelings. Contrary, a child who experienced affection from the parents will feel the need to act the same way as their parents did.

Secondly, culture experiences also play a role in shaping a person. A cultural environment where black is a symbol of evil will affect the feeling of an adult towards black skinned people. Some cultural experiences have men as superior and women inferior. This culture, therefore, shapes a girl child to a submissive woman.

Thirdly, a child who experienced physically and emotionally understanding relationship with parents and other siblings can express out his/her feelings in a relaxed and positive. On the other hand, physically and emotionally abusive and hostile family experiences shape a child to a criminal, as he will act violently to confront situations. Lastly, sexual experiences affect how adults behave, view and feel about sex. Sexually abused children view sex as evil and shy away from it in adulthood (Duck, p.46).

How adults feel, behave, and view this is generally out of childhood experiences.

Positive experiences bear positives traits while negative experiences comprise adult well-being. It is therefore essential for parents or guardians to provide necessary conditions for positive experiences.

Duck, Steve. Human Relationship . London, UK: SAGE Publication Ltd. 2007. Print.

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Life’s stages are changing – we need new terms and new ideas to describe how adults develop and grow

Senior Research Scholar, Department of Psychology, Clark University

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Jeffrey Arnett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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What image comes to mind when you think of a person in their 20s?

Do you imagine an adult stressed out by the weight of many new responsibilities in family and work roles?

Or do you envision someone who is bursting with hope and undeveloped potential, still more of a kid than an adult, struggling to define a life and making little or no money but managing to find occasional joy nevertheless? Perhaps your soundtrack here is Taylor Swift’s radiant “22” : “We’re happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time. It’s miserable and magical.”

How about when you think of someone in their 60s?

Do you envision someone – or maybe a happy couple – enjoying life, living well, still vigorous but now freer than before from daily work and family duties?

Or do you see someone who is stooped over from a lifetime of carrying burdens, their health diminished, now shuffling toward no particular destination? Here the soundtrack might be the doleful Beatles song “ When I’m 64 ”: “Will you still need me? Will you still feed me? When I’m 64?”

The whole arc of adult development has changed over the past several decades, in ways that our psychological theories are still catching up with. In the 21st century, does it still make sense to refer to “young adulthood,” “midlife” and “late adulthood,” as psychologists have been doing for so long? If not, what are more accurate concepts?

Most of my career as a developmental psychologist has been devoted to answering these questions. My theory of emerging adulthood recognizes that the lives of younger adults have changed vastly since the 1960s. As the father of 22-year-old twins, I’m keenly aware of their journey through the new life stage I have been researching and writing about for so long. As a 64-year-old, I’m also turning my attention to how the 60s have changed from what they used to be.

A longer-than-ever journey to adulthood

In my research over the past two decades, I’ve found that people ages 19 to 29 are neither fully adult nor in an “extended adolescence” – as this time of life was viewed over the course of the 20th century. In the early 21st century, these years had become a time of gradually and often erratically making one’s way toward a more established adulthood .

I invited scholars from all over the world to contribute to a special issue of American Psychologist, one of the top journals in psychology, on the theme of “Rethinking Adult Development: New Ideas for New Times.” The recently published results are a wonderfully diverse set of papers that go a long way toward reconceptualizing what adult development looks like now and where it might be going.

Most of the authors were developmental psychologists. About half were Americans and half were Europeans, although Shinobu Kitayama and his colleagues offered a refreshingly different Asian cultural perspective.

Here are some of the highlights:

– Ages 30 to 45 are now “the rush hour of life.” Today people around the world wait later than ever to marry and have kids, and most have only one or two. But then couples typically have the dual challenge of trying to move ahead in their careers while also handling the intense responsibilities of caring for young children. Women have vastly greater opportunities in education and work than they did in 1960, which is welcome but also presents new challenges and stresses.

In their contribution to the special issue, Clare Mehta and her colleagues propose the term “established adulthood” to distinguish these years as the most intense and demanding years of adult life, characterized by the “career-and-care-crunch,” when obligations are high in both work and family roles.

– In midlife – ages 45-60 – the crunch years of caring for young children abate. Adults reach their peak career earnings and status in their late 40s and 50s. But life can become complicated, as new responsibilities may arise with grandchildren and with aging parents who need more assistance.

Overall, as Frank Infurna and colleagues detail in their contribution, mental health declines in midlife. Reports of depression and anxiety increase. Seeking professional help for mental health issues reaches a lifetime peak.

Furthermore, midlife well-being, health and life expectancy have declined notably in the U.S. since 2000, especially among working-class adults who have been left behind by the information-and-technology economy. This has led to an epidemic of “deaths of despair” from suicide, opioid overdoses or alchoholism.

– Adults in later life, ages 60-75, are thriving like never before. Although life after age 60 is traditionally regarded as a time of inevitable decline, the reality of it has become sharply different –and better – in recent decades.

Life expectancy at birth is higher now than it has ever been, worldwide, and adults are smarter and healthier for longer than ever. Denis Gerstorf and his colleagues show how these positive trends have taken place across many countries over the past century because of improvements in education, nutrition and health care.

[ Like what you’ve read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter .]

Physical health issues do arise with age for most people, but more people than ever before stay healthy through their 60s and early 70s by maintaining healthy diet and physical exercise practices. One of the exciting recent findings highlighted in Ursula Staudinger’s article is that regular exercise promotes mental health as well as physical well-being, helping to maintain mental sharpness and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Life satisfaction also seems to rise in later life, as we gain a new freedom to choose the kind of work we do – or stop working altogether and spend more time with the people we care about most. According to Phillip Ackerman and Ruth Kanfer , more people are working into their late 60s and early 70s than ever before, but they have more freedom to choose how they do it, whether it’s working part time, starting a small business or trying something they have always wanted to do.

Adulthood’s new arc requires new concepts and ideas

Over my decades of writing about emerging adulthood, I’ve learned that it matters how people think about the stages of human development. Thinking shapes expectations and how experiences are interpreted. Lots of compelling and exciting new findings about adult development point to the importance of rethinking previous theories, assumptions and stereotypes about the course of adult life.

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• early career
• Cultural change

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Adulthood — From Childhood to Adulthood: Emotional and Physical Changes

From Childhood to Adulthood: Emotional and Physical Changes

• Categories: Adulthood Childhood Personal Growth and Development

About this sample

Words: 1562 |

Published: Nov 22, 2018

Words: 1562 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Works Cited

• Brooks, A. (n.d.). Child development: Overview. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/child-development-overview
• Center on the Developing Child. (n.d.). What is child development? Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/child-development/
• Child Development Institute. (n.d.). Child development stages. Retrieved from https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/normaldevelopment/
• DeHart, G. B., & Sroufe, L. A. (2015). Cooperating with life: Reconstructing developmental psychoanalysis. In Developmental science and psychoanalysis (pp. 53-73). Routledge.
• McGraw-Hill Education. (2019). Psychology: The science of mind and behavior. McGraw-Hill Education.
• National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). Children and youth with disabilities.
• Piaget, J. (2013). The construction of reality in the child. Routledge.
• Santrock, J. W. (2011). Children. McGraw-Hill.
• Sroufe, L. A., & Waters, E. (1977). Attachment as an organizational construct. Child Development, 48(4), 1184-1199.
• Steinberg, L. (2014). Adolescence. McGraw-Hill Education.

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Best Personal Essay Examples

Transitioning from childhood to adulthood.

775 words | 3 page(s)

There are many things that differentiate children from adults. There are events and ceremonies that formally transition a child into an adult; additionally, there are numerous informal happenings that occur along the way in childhood that signify a child moving toward adulthood. In my life, when I was a child, I didn’t know right from wrong. I kept asking questions to the adults in my life to ensure that I was doing more of the “right” things than the “wrong” things. This is one way that many children transition to adulthood. The difference between a child and an adult in this circumstance is that the adult typically knows how to use his reasoning, his social experience, and his morality to make a determination on right and wrong. A child often does not have the maturity level in these areas to do so, so they rely on the advice and direction from adults.

Also, there have been certain specific events that have happened in my life that have made me more adult than child. Being a student at school and college, landing a job after school, volunteering in a community changed my life as a child into a mature and responsible adult life. Being a college student has changed my life in the sense that I am now more mature and responsible. Additionally, college has provided me with the career-specific knowledge and skills that I will need in my word processing jobs. The communication courses I have taken in college have prepared me to approach most communicative acts with confidence and skill. This is another sign of being an adult.

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Employment has also helped me to become a mature adult and get rid of child-like behavior, including a lack of communication skills, a lack of practical skills, and a lack of problem solving skills. When I got my first job in a clinic, I started to specific communicative strategies from my boss. I learned how to provide my customers with the best service. Customers deserve to be treated cordially, with respect, and with patience. On the job, I also learned that you cannot avoid difficult situations like you can when you are a child. Sometimes, customers just aren’t happy, and nothing you do will help the situation. In those rare cases, I learned to face the situation head-on and resolve it. An adult is able to do that, a child often will avoid this type of uncomfortable interaction. For example, an agitated customer came back with his purchased items, and he told me that I had given him the incorrect items. At that moment, I believed him, listened to him, resolved his problem, apologized to him, and got the correct items for him.

In reflecting upon the differences between a child and an adult, I have thought about my parents. When I was young, my parents provided everything I needed. Now, as they age, they will begin to need support and care from me. This is yet another significant signal that childhood is over and adulthood is here to stay. When I was a child, I only knew how to get help, care, and financial support from my parents. I didn’t even notice that they were also humans and not an automatic machine which provided me with anything I wanted and needed. Now, however, I am 22 years old, and I am starting to understand their feelings. It is my turn to take care of them. I started to cook and do laundry for my parents. I do a lot of household chores to make them happy. I make the primary decisions for choosing clinics and doctors. I provide them essential care financially, mentally, and emotionally. Finally, my parents are very happy, and they love me more than when I was a child. I have become a person they can lean upon.

Finally, one last thing that differentiates a child from an adult is giving to others in the community. When I became adult, I began completing a lot of volunteerism and advocacy for people who are really in need. It is also one way a mature adult can give back to his or her community. I taught in a library and cooked foods in a church for homeless and elderly people. This is certainly one way children and different from adults.

I am fortunate enough to have transitioned from an indecisive child into decisive, responsible, and mature adult. I would not have been able to do this without the supp ort from my family, my boss, my teacher, and my parents. “Every day is a learning process” said by one of my teachers.

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