Things you should do before you turn 18

18 is when you turn the legal age and become an adult, but what do you need to take care of before you reach adulthood?

Chloe MacFoy • Reporter

Get your driver’s license

~ Being able to drive is convenient and helps you get from point A to point B. Learning to drive before you’re an adult can be helpful, so you don’t have to worry about getting your driver’s license later. If you get your license after you turn 18, you would need to go to an adult driving school and watch the Impact Texas driver video before you can take the driver’s test.

Write a future letter to yourself

~ As you grow up, you change and turn into a different person, and writing to yourself at a younger age can help you see how you’ve grown as a person. You can see what you were interested in at the time, how you used to talk, etc. Looking back at your old self can also give you a sense of nostalgia and make you relive memories you used to have.

Look at colleges/think about your future

~ Becoming an adult is scary, and it might be hard to think about your future, but having a reasonable idea about what you want to do after high school tends to make it less scary. If you want to go to college, you should be researching what you might want to major in, or what location you want to stay in. Of course, college is not the only option. You can go to a trade school or go straight to work.

Get a job/open a bank account

~ Having a job can help young adults learn how to save and manage their own money. Jobs teach teenagers a greater sense of responsibility and help them prepare for the “real world.” Jobs can teach teenagers to balance school and other things at the same time. Opening a bank can help teenagers develop financial skills like using a debit card, being financially independent, and understanding how banks work.