By Yvonne Cheung (25S03S)

We’ve blown out the birthday candles eighteen times. We’ve cut the cake, sung the same song, made countless silly wishes — but this year feels different. Turning eighteen is supposed to represent adulthood, independence, the beginning of the rest of our lives. But for many of us, it arrives without ceremony, quiet and subtle.

This video article explores what it really means to turn eighteen — legally, psychologically and emotionally — and what it feels like to stand on the edge of something so often romanticised, but seemingly out of grasp. If you have ever anticipated, feared, dreaded turning eighteen, or all of the above, this one’s for you.