For most of us, college brings about some big changes. The majority of the campus consists of legal adults, and there are no parents watching over our shoulders.

Whether change involves letting our hair grow a couple of inches longer before trims or staying out later, college opens up lots of new opportunities to make our own decisions.

Some students use their newfound independence to join groups and try out a broad range of activities. Freshman Meghan Lewis did just that when she joined the Outing Club and helped plan a skydiving trip for the spring.

“It never worked out [for me] to do it in high school,” said Lewis. “You couldn’t really just drive off for the weekend and go skydiving. Here I can go with a group of people who have done it before.”

With all the different clubs and activities going on campus, there are bound to be chances to pursue exciting new experiences, and it’s tempting to take advantage of pre-planned excursions that don’t require parental permission.

“I’ll only tell my parents about it after I do it, otherwise they would flip out,” said Lewis. Indeed, for many students, the freedom from parental control allows them to sample pastimes that they would not have dared at home.

This freedom also allows kids to express their individuality without the necessity of obtaining a parent’s signature. Sophomore Felix Hu chose not to tell his parents about the tattoo he got after spring break his freshman year.

“I’m old enough to make my own decisions,” said Hu. “I don’t think they would care. They would probably be more mad that I don’t go to class and [mess] around all day.”

The tattoo, which Hu designed himself, reads “Life” on his left shoulder and “Death” on his right shoulder.

“I was bored at school. and I got creative” said Hu.

He later followed up his first tattoo with some more art on the right side of his chest, this time opting for the phrase “To those I love,” inked in Latin.

Freshman Jenni Klauder had a similar experience in getting her nose pierced. While she wanted to get her nose pierced in high school, her first chance occurred away form her parents’ eyes at college.

“I talked to them about it senior year and they said no,” said Klauder. “But this year I called them and told them I was going to do it.”

While initially upset, her parents realized that they were not completely in charge anymore.

“They told me they guessed I was an adult now,” said Klauder.

For many, freedom from parents is an important step in growing up.

For many people, a big change is the new availability of nightlife and alcohol. Whereas in high school parents could mandate a curfew and try to manage our time, at college we have the freedom to decide when to eat, study, workout and sleep.

However, with this freedom comes some big responsibilities. For many students, learning to navigate new opportunities and risks can end up seeming like an additional class.

Whether for good or bad, these moments where we explore the freedom of life as adults and try out our boundaries are the moments we will remember after college.

It is these exciting adventures that will help shape who we are and who we become later in life.

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