I’m snuggled up comfortably on my couch as I stare at my phone’s home screen, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. Suddenly, 11:59 turns into 12:00, and it’s now Oct. 14, 2026. I am 20 years old. I leap off the couch and shake off my blanket. I feel older already, and suddenly everything falls into place. I know exactly what I want to do when I’m older, where I want to live, my future home, life, goals and everything in between; I am ready to take on the world… said absolutely no one ever.  

Ever since I turned 20 about three weeks ago, I’ve been realizing more and more the legitimate propaganda that turning 20 years old brings about. All of a sudden, it’s expected I know absolutely everything about myself, my future and the world around me just because I’ve entered a new decade. And not any new decade, but my 20s. Don’t even get me started.  

This is the decade of life when people graduate, establish their careers, get married, start families, buy houses, travel and evolve into their best, most successful selves. This is the glamorous decade where everything happens. The pressure’s on, to say the least. 

But why is it this way? 20 is truly an interesting age because it occupies this weird gray space where you’re not regarded as an adult yet, but no one thinks you’re a kid either. Losing the teen label adds to the weirdness of this age because being a teen is romanticized as a fun, quirky time, when you’re not only allowed to make a fool of yourself and make stupid mistakes, but making mistakes is celebrated. 

I think a big part of this strange feeling around the age of 20 is the role social media plays in young people’s lives today. Social media users overly glamorize their 20s, only showing the most well-kept and aesthetically pleasing parts of their days, which only exacerbates the societal expectations that 20-year-olds need to have their lives completely figured out. Not to mention seeing that one random 15-year-old high schooler day-in-the-life on your For You page get up at 5 a.m. to run 95 miles and score a 125% on all her exams; that always makes you feel great too.   

I’ll concede that your 20s bring a lot of excitement and change, but the pressure of doing everything –– and doing it perfectly –– is seriously unrealistic. The truth is that 20-year-olds are still figuring things out just like any regular teenager; they’re fresh off the teen label, and most are still college students who interact with teens daily. It’s not like a switch you can turn on. 

In short, turning 20 is a time of excitement, but it should be kept at that. Live in the moment you’re in and grant yourself some grace. Getting older doesn’t signify suddenly becoming a guru; it only means you have more of an opportunity to do so, and it’s a blessing some people don’t get to experience. Take it all in. Welcome to your 20s.