To ask how 'grown up' you were aged 22?

[Soyamilkisniceintea]

I started my first job at 22 and looking back, I was really, really immature

What were you like at 22?

I was still at uni, planning my wedding. On the verge of starting to be grown up. I wish I could go back...

I had a 3 year old who I was raising on my own, renting my own house from the council, was at uni 200 miles away from any family so I was pretty independent and capable of dealing with things on my own. I didn't drink or take drugs, I was just quite boring and sensible - looked after my dd, studied hard and took sole care of my house and finances.

I graduated from university aged 22, with a First and a Final Year Prize. The proudest moment of my life at the time.

22 was a horrible year for me. My mum was admitted to hospital to have a stent fitted on my 22nd birthday, 6 weeks later we found out her cancer was spread, and she died the month after I graduated. So 22 was a year of a hell of a lot of growing up for me - taking over cooking and looking after my dad and my twin, trying to protect everyone and keep everyone happy, the first Christmas without my wonderful mummy.

It was a strange age, because when I called Cruse bereavement helpline a couple of weeks after she died, they actually referred me to the young people's helpline instead - they said I'd probably relate more because I was barely an adult really. So I was grown-up in a lot of ways but so young at the same time.

There's a lot of defining "maturity" as simple conformity to social expectations on here.

Had a job and was in a relationship with boyfriend who became dh and had just bought our first house. Now I look back and think "What were we thinking?" Straight from uni to "settled" when we could have gone anywhere and done anything. Dh never even got the reward of retirement because he died last year.
Ds1 is 20 and I would be horrified if he decided to settle down two years from now. There's a lot to be said for having a bit of fun in your twenties.

22 now, married at 19, living in Asia with a job in my field, graduated July 2016.
Moving back to the UK soon to study more, then hopefully immigrate again. There's no normal. All my sisters are married but none of my brothers. By 22 my mum was still in uni but my dad had already been widowed. It's a strange age because my friends are very scattered in terms of where they are in life.

I had finished uni, travelled and worked full time, but then had a complete breakdown that knocked me on my ass for months.

I just wasn't ready to be an adult, I guess. Things turned around the next year, thankfully.

I had a good job in insurance, married, 1 child and another on the way, mortgage.... all the boring grown up stuff.

Blissfully immature. Living in literally the smallest bedsit it London feeling like I'd made it. working all hours as a waitress and then spending all my tips on clothes and nights out. I remember thinking everything about London was so bright and glamerous. One of the happiest times of my life so far.

I had moved back home after a turbulent relationship with an ex, after living with him and our respective children for 9 months.
I then met current OH and never looked back.

I had a 4/5 year old child and worked while plodding my way through my post-grad.

I was more 'grown up' than my friends but definitely not as together as I thought.

When DS is 22 I want him to have adventures and little worries, there is plenty of time to grow up later.

There's a lot of defining "maturity" as simple conformity to social expectations on here

Agreed.

There's a lot of defining "maturity" as simple conformity to social expectations on here

Yes or just as "have procreated"

I had a pretty responsible job, I'd just come out of a long term relationship, back living with the parents. I had a lot of disposable income which I essentially pissed against a wall. No regrets though, some of my best times were between 21-24.

At 22 I was finishing up my last year of Uni in the States. I was single and thoroughly enjoying it. Finished uni and moved to London to live with my sister and started working for a company I still work for now 8 years later. Not horribly immature but not particularly mature either. I remember showing up to work a little hungover at least once or twice...

I was living with DP, renting, in my first job after finishing uni. No money but lots of friends, lots of nights out and holidays. Always had the latest outfits on. Probably why I had no money!

Felt pretty grown up at the time, but looking back I was still so young.

I hope to always learn throughout my whole life though - I'm sure 60 year old me will look back at 40 year old me and think Christ, I was so immature!

There's a lot of defining "maturity" as simple conformity to social expectations on here

I agree. It surprises me how many people state that they were "mature" because they were married and/or had children.

I had just graduated and was in my first 'proper' job which was an accountancy grad scheme - my first job with salary and holidays, rather than temp or bar work which I'd done in uni holidays etc.

I was renting a house in the city I went to uni in and living with my then-boyfriend, basically playing at being grown ups. The relationship wasn't going anywhere and our weekends were basically an extension of student life as we still had friends who hadn't graduated.

It was mostly a lot of fun, but I had more fun when I packed in the job and house (and eventually, boyfriend) and went back to DM's in London - and then travelling.

And then I got married at 25. Which was also very young in my peer group, but seems to have worked for us.

At 22 I was a mum to one and pregnant with a second, I then had our second and had to face her heart failure the day she was born (within her first 24 hours) then I had to deal with all her issues, her transplant then all her breathing issues etc now I'm wanting a third I think I aged a lot in my youngests two years of life I felt quite mature, but the reality is I'm not and I need to be looked after and I have loads of mental health issues and find life extremely hard and I just want a friend that lives in the same country as me that I can talk to and forget about all my problems. So in short, Im very mature but also feel like a child inside.

I wasn't remotely 'mature' and I'm perfectly happy about that. Finished one degree, started a postgraduate one, got my first ever job - bit of tutoring - a late start which really
doesn't seem to have held me back, still living with the rather hopeless uni boyfriend I should have ditched, drinking too much and smoking a fair bit of dope.

22 for me was last year!
So at 22 I was;

• renting a flat
• 1 year old DD
• 1/3 of the way through a law degree

Yes I feel mature. Most of the time I just get on with things and do the whole 'adulting' thing but sometimes it does hit me how different I am to many of my peers e.g last week when 2 of my friends were booking summer hols to Malaga and I was buying a washing machine because the old one had packed in. I also find quite a few people I go to Uni with immature - for a lot of them it's their first time away from home and they can just be quite silly. i think a lot of whether someone is mature or not is whether they are still being 'parented' without parental support you mature a lot faster

Nothing wrong with a smoke. If your boyfriend is an issue then fair enough, but plenty of people smoke and function well it's not the reason someone is the way they are, I'd say drinking too much would be more harm.

Married, had an almost one yr old had completed my degree in English literature had brought our first house and felt incredibly mature. Looking back I don't think I was that mature.

I was at uni, living abroad, I was mature when I had to be as living abroad without family required it, however when the situation didn't require it I was immature and wild, lol

Great days!

Oh, it's the boyfriend I mainly should have ditched. And I don't particularly think maturity should be a requirement at 22. I am beset by respectability and mortgage and kids these days - glad I didn't have them 30 years ago!

I agree, I don't think anyone really needs to be mature until they have to be. If that makes any sense