ABSTRACT
Cara1 is excited about turning 20 years old. Her sophomore year of college is coming to a close, and she is ready to be treated like an adult. Despite the fact that her parents pay for her tuition, room and board, car insurance, and cellphone bill, Cara feels that she is no longer an adolescent. She has ideas, opinions, and values of her own and is capable of making important decisions. On top of a heavy course load, Cara has managed to do well in a part-time job for the university and handles her money wisely. While many adults would look at Cara’s current stage in life and consider her still to be a dependant, Cara would argue that she is in control of her life and is, therefore, an independent adult (personal communication, March 1, 2007).
