From the first step in the process of getting your license, the huge learning opportunity begins. You have studied the driver’s manual inside and out until it made you sick. You passed the written test and then the, much more difficult driver’s test. Now you finally have your license! The day you have been waiting for all your life. If only it was that simple. Now you have many more things to worry about. Not only do you have to remember the information you studied, you now have to use it on a day-to-day basis. This includes following the rules of the road and making sure you are keeping yourself and those around you safe. When you disobey these rules you can and will receive the consequences for doing so. It can be a harsh reality check for some teens, but it is an essential learning experience in ones life.
With a driver’s license also comes greater independence. It gives you huge freedoms you likely have never experienced before. You can theoretically go wherever you want, whenever you want. You can stay out late at night and leave early in the morning. If it is eleven o’clock at night and your stomach is rumbling, you can go to your favorite fast food restaurant and buy whatever your heart desires. However, there is always a down side. Now you need to worry about managing your money in order to be able to afford new expenses, such as insurance and gas. Unfortunately, money does not grow on trees so you probably will have to get a job to support this new privilege. With the good comes the bad. To be able to do one thing you may have to do something you may not be too keen on; that is just a fact of life.
An immense component to getting your license is the increase in your responsibilities. You now have realized that you need a job, or some sort of income to maintain a car and its necessities. You are responsible for the safety of your passengers, those around you, and yourself. Failing to adhere to those responsibilities could result in consequences such as a ticket, someone getting injured, or possibly and not uncommonly, death. Many times teenagers take this new privilege for granted and test their limits. Recognizing your responsibilities and taking action upon them takes a huge deal of maturity. This a very important factor when driving. It is also a great element on the path to adulthood.
Obtaining your drivers license will be an unforgettable time of your life. It is a time of amazing growth as a person. It throws you out into a world of opportunities, teaches you things that you will use constantly for the rest of your life, and helps you on your journey to becoming an adult. As an adult you will continue to rely on your own dependence, constantly gain more responsibilities, and you will never stop learning.
