When do we really grow up?

So lately I have been resenting the college atmosphere. Okay, I love the grad school atmosphere, but something about the younger students bugs me! Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to get on my high horse and say I'm better now that I graduated, but at what point do we focus on the reason we are in school?

Case and point:
I am terribly sick of using the computer lab in the evening when the athletic-type (wouldn't be surprised if they were the athletes of this campus...that's a whole new story) guys are in there together. When I go to the computer lab, I go because I have homework assignments on programs only the school has. I am there to work, and work hard so I can get out of there as soon as possible. Unfortunately, not everyone feels this way. I know this because, silly me, I chose a computer a few spots away from these rowdy guys. While trying desperately to concentrate on the task at hand, I was distracted by these guys who were on facebook looking at pictures of "hot chicks" and rating how hot they were...oh and if they could "score" with them. Oh it gets worse...after about a half hour of that, one of the guys got on the phone to someone else asking about the homework assignment that was due. He was getting all huffy and puffy over the phone, because, apparently, the caller on the other end was not going to give them the completed assignment as agreed upon. When off the phone, we went on and on to his buddies about what a liar the caller was, and he should've never bought him the shot the night before. Apparently the shot at the bar was the payment for this particular homework assignment. Why put such a large investment into something, like school, to cheat your way through it? This type of scenario has happened the last two weeks in our computer lab, with two different sets of guys.

Case and point number 2:
Why do the girls here feel the need to "doll" themselves up?? I guess I have felt pressure from the type of girls who go to school here since I started my freshman year. I know that this materialistic type of girl is everywhere right now, heck I see her every time I open up a magazine, but why do we make others feel inadequate if they don't meet these standards? I have recently become somewhat angry at myself, because I fell to this pressure. My biggest beauty peer pressure vice since starting school has been tanning. I don't know why, but for some reason burning our skin makes us beautiful! I admit that I like how I look better when I am tan, but why?? For this reason alone, I haven't gone tanning since the end of summer last year. So why am I starting to feel like I need to go? The only answer I have to this question is the poor effects of the typical hollywood stereotype portrayed everywhere...particularly in the media. I dare to be different, and have always thought of myself in this way. I hate that I fell for the trap set out by beauty experts whose job is to frame the way society thinks about beauty. Never have I felt more beautiful than I do now. I have made a complete lifestyle change. I will be happy, and I will no longer succumb to shallow standards ever again.

DISCLAIMER: I will avoid tanning beds, however, I will never avoid the beautiful sunshine outside...let it be summer!

Coming soon: Did I mention I chopped all of my hair off?? I will be posting before and after pictures (pre-weight watchers and pre-haircut)!