Independence is a term that most college students know or are currently in the process of learning. Independence is defined as having the freedom from the control, influence or help from others.

College will challenge and inspire many and will also help develop maturity and independence in students. For college students, the goal is acquiring independence and learning the importance of being able to set their own agendas.

During the first few months of college, students realize how different the environment and teaching methods are in comparison to high school. With this new realization, students become independent and can really take charge of their education and time management.

The biggest difference you may notice when you transition from high school to college is the different teaching methods of professors. Students cope with sacrificing aspects of their social lives, such as partying, to deal with studying for classes.

In high school, you didn’t have to be too concerned about meeting a deadline. In college, finding a way to properly manage your time is a huge step toward independence and learning how to prioritize things by their importance.

College students are at the stage of their lives where they break away from the protection of their family, learn how to be adults and rely on themselves. Parents and mentors tend to have over-protective and even controlling characteristics when their children have the “college talk” with them. Even with the best intentions of parents, being too careful about their child’s independence could hinder the ability for children to make it on their own.

Independence is an important skill you learn as a college student because you begin to pave your way toward accomplishing goals and finding your aspirations. But that does not mean those who do not attend college cannot find the same independence under different circumstances.

To simply put it, independence is important for several reasons. Independent people learn how to stand on their own two feet under circumstances they have had to face before. Independent people forge their own paths in life, rather than following the path that their parents want for them.

However, independence does not mean you know how to navigate through life completely alone. Instead, independence is an important aspect in life you can gain from college because you develop a sense of awareness of what it means to be an adult in the real world.

Entering the real world as an independent adult gives students the chance to figure out who they are away from the pressures of their parents or society as a whole.

It is inevitable that college students will face many problems, including their ideas of what the future has in store for them. But independence not only teaches you to overcome these problems, it helps you take charge of your own life.