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What Can You Do Once You’re 16?

18 October 2016

By Lois

In a few days, it’s my 16th birthday. 16 is a birthday people tend to see as a big deal (although I am currently far less excited than I anticipated I would be when I was ten) and in honour of this monumental occasion, I present you with a list of things you can do when you’re 16 that you couldn’t before, to see if it really is all its cracked up to be.

1. Get married or register a civil partnership with consent – It seems pretty strange that next week I could legally get married. Looking at 16-year-olds, it seems pretty young to be allowing people to make that sort of decision, but why not? Even if it was 18, that still seems young, and I doubt many people really take advantage of this.
2. Apply for an adult Passport – I am currently in the middle of this process (if you start your application within three weeks of your 16th birthday you are classed as an adult, FYI) and to be frank, it’s not life-changing, just vaguely annoying that I have to pay more.
3. Consent to sexual activity with others aged 16 and over – People make a big deal of this one but I have to say I think people who wait till they’re 16 to have sex aren’t necessarily doing so because of this, so it’s probably an important thing but I don’t feel any particular way about it, and neither do most of my friends.
4. Buy a lottery ticket – This one is definitely important, since most of my future rests on whether or not I win a substantial amount of money. I think if I start young my chances of winning will gradually increase and quick millions look like the way forward in this world, so fingers crossed.
5. Drink wine/beer with a meal when accompanied by someone over 18 – I probably won’t be getting smashed in Wetherspoons anytime soon, but there you go (Drink responsibly, other generic pub chains are available).
6. Join the armed forces with parental consent – This genuinely seems like a significant point; that’s quite a big life decision you could make. A bit like the getting married.
7. Leave home with or without parental consent – See number six.
8. Pilot a glider – So if you’re someone who enjoys or is aware of gliding, this could well be an interesting pro to turning 16. Personally, I have absolutely no interest but I suppose some people do, and good luck to them.
9. You are one year closer to being the dancing queen! – The most exciting point on the list in my opinion.

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