Imani Tailly, Senior Staff Writer 

As college students, university is often said to be the first step into the adult world. Moving away from home and living on campus, working, doing sports, joining clubs, taking classes, and more, you’re discovering yourself and learning who you really are. A lot of people feel pressured to grow up in college. People will tell you to focus, take care of business, and leave the more child-like parts of yourself behind. You may be called “immature,” “childish,” or something similar for collecting Pokémon cards or figures, buying stuffed animals, collecting comics or manga in college. These hobbies and interests can bring judgement from people of all ages; however, I believe that college is the time we should hold onto the things that make us a “kid.” 

I believe that a big reason people push college students to grow up is that they don’t understand the difference between “child-like” and “childish”. The word child-like is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “resembling, suggesting, or appropriate to a child or childhood especially: marked by innocence, trust, and ingenuousness.” One definition of childish from Merriam-Webster is “of, relating to, or suitable for a child or childhood, marked by or suggestive of immaturity and lack of poise”. The difference here is the connotation associated with each word. Where child-like carries ideas of innocence, childish is connected to things like immaturity. These can often be used interchangeably when speaking about certain hobbies, but in the case of college students, this usage can lead to a negative association with both words. No one wants to be seen as immature in college; they want to be taken seriously. As a result, there is pressure on students to give up and walk away from things perceived as childish or child-like. 

So why does this pressure to grow up exist? Why are we pushed to abandon the things that make us happy all because someone doesn’t understand why you would spend $20 on a figure of your favorite character? It stems from a range of things. Besides not understanding the difference between child-like and childish, the pressure comes from other people’s expectations of what a college student should be doing. You should be planning your life, jobs for the summer, internships, graduation, etc. Why the rush? Two scholars from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Nancy Hill and Alexis Redding, give an argument against this rush, pointing out that college is a place which delays adulthood and how that helps students. In an article with The Harvard Gazette, Hill explains that the benefits of delaying adulthood are “the ability to expand horizons, to take a step back, and think about the opportunities to craft a life that you want.”  

Hill’s idea makes sense. College is the time to slow down and think about how you want to go forward. It’s a taste of adulthood without jumping headfirst into it. So why rush into adulthood when you can take this time to enjoy it? Go to events in the area and join clubs of people who share your interests. There’s freedom in embracing your child-like side. In an article from the Harvard Political Review, being child-like is described as having “a mind that is open and untainted and neither overly complicated nor distanced from existence by a systematic view of life.” It’s a state of bliss. Aware, yet enjoying everything without worry. This is how I feel at a card show, an electric environment that puts a smile on my face. For others, this may be as simple as sitting alone and playing your favorite game. Being child-like is freeing; it’s fun, so why give that away? 

The reality of college is that it’s not easy. It’s a juggling act that is hard to nail down as things change, like class schedules and work hours. You need something grounding, something that puts a smile on your face. For me, that’s collecting Pokémon cards, which I got back into in college. For others, it can be gaming, going to conventions, and more. Just like Hill said, this is where you evaluate what to do going forward. You may not have the time to go to a convention or a card show as often when you’re working a nine-to-five in the future. Take advantage of the benefits of time in college. There’s no rush. Enjoy college, plan for the future, but enjoy the journey along the way.