First Year Living Alone

What this stage is like

You like deciding things for yourself, and you love your freedom. You know the joy of doing what you want when you want, and you’re also starting to deal with the little details of daily life. You check the fridge before choosing what to cook, and now and then you look back at what you’ve spent. Some days don’t go so well, but you’re learning by trying, and this is when you grow the most. When you jump into a new place, or want to build your own way of doing things from scratch, your light footwork and quick learning are big strengths.

Sound familiar?

• ✓On days off, you take it easy with no plans until noon
• ✓When a gadget looks handy, you want to try it right away
• ✓Every so often you catch yourself being “responsible” and feel proud

Everyday quirks

You value your free time so much that chores turn into “I’ll do them all this weekend.” Before you know it, they’ve piled up into a mountain.

Other stages

• Mental age 6–11Summer-Break Grade-Schooler
• Mental age 12–15After-Club Middle-Schooler
• Mental age 16–19Spirit-Week High-Schooler
• Mental age 20–26First Year Living Alone
• Mental age 27–35Got-It-Handled Go-Getter
• Mental age 36–49Everyone’s Go-To Listener
• Mental age 50–64Life Veterans Club
• Mental age 65–88Tea-Time Zen Master