<p>Hi, </p>
<p>I’ll be starting college soon and I’ll be sixteen going in…will this make for awkward situations? Or will most other students not really care?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>There will be a few awkward moments around stuff which you can’t do since you are not yet 18 (vote, etc.) Also, make sure that whatever forms etc. that need to be signed by an adult are signed by your parents (many things must be signed by parents for those under 18). Under 18 also means that sexting is considered child porn and in some statse you can’t have a relationship with anybody over 18 (state laws vary). I only mention these things because people will assume you are 18 and treat you as such until they learn otherwise.</p>
<p>Most students won’t really care, but legally it could cause some hassles. My ex boyfriend, an international who didn’t turn 18 until March, had to pretend to be an adult just to volunteer, go on college sponsored activities, etc. He also got extremely sick at the beginning of the school year and the hospital needed a parent or guardian to sign something on his behalf. I can’t remember how he solved that dilemma since his parents weren’t about to fly over from China, but it was a huge hassle.</p>
<p>Also, if you go to parties where there’s alcohol or drugs, don’t tell people your age. If the party is busted and the cops find out you’re a minor and that people knew, the hosts could be in far more serious trouble than if they thought you were 18. (Ex: Texas <a href=“http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/laws/underage_drinking_laws.asp[/url]”>http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/laws/underage_drinking_laws.asp</a> )</p>
<p>I started college at 17 and I knew a girl who started at 16 and it wasn’t really awkward. Just be mature.</p>
<p>Depends how mature you are. I started college at 16 and I think I was at a significant disadvantage due to my lack of maturity. But if you are a mature 16 year old with a lot of life experience no one will care.</p>
<p>The only time it will matter is if you have to sign a form (which often your parents will need to sign to because you’re a minor) or if your friends want to do something where you have to be 18+ or later, 21+.</p>
<p>It’s going to be weird. I would suggest keeping it to yourself until someone specifically asks. </p>
<p>Like people have said, there are legal implications and instances where you won’t be able to participate. Just try to find a good group of friends that are grounded and not too…free about the decisions they make.
Have fun next year!</p>
<p>Normal age to start college for traditional students is about 16-19. You’re on the young end of that. It should not be awkward.</p>
<p>It’s not that big of a deal, depends on how committed you are to your classes (you can be as smart as five Einsteins, it won’t matter if you don’t do the work). And by the time you graduate you’ll be twenty, a few years younger than your fellow graduates, and the age difference won’t seem that big.</p>
<p>Now, try being a thirty-year-old undergrad. THAT matters, unfortunately.</p>
<p>I had two friends starting college at 17, so it’s not that uncommon. The hardest part is still being considered a minor and having to still deal with your parents!</p>
<p>Other than that, maybe dating/relationships, but you shouldn’t have a problem. Nobody cares too much about age because most everyone starts college at a different time. My best friend at my uni is a year older than me and I dated a girl a year and a half older than me, too! The main segregation at my uni seem doesn’t seem to be age, but rather to be upper classmen and lower classmen.</p>
<p>It’ll only be awkward when eleventh one is about to go out and then you tell them you’re actually 16…</p>