How much does a person change between the ages of 19 and 25?

Immeasurably. The person I was at 19 seems like only a shadow of who I am today. I’ve learned a lot, I’ve loved and lost, I’ve had family and friends pass away, and I’ve had my own accomplishments. All of these things have helped me change (for the better).

What @Les said.

I dont know how old you are, but would you say that you have changed more in that time (6 years) then any other 6 years of your life?

Except for the things that life throws at you.
I did not see a big difference. It was balls to the walls, full steam ahead.
Business as usual for those years.
Now 25 to 35. Life experience and practical use of that experience kicks in.
World takes on a whole other dimension and way of spinning.

miles and miles. when I turned 18 I moved to florida for college. 2300 miles away from anyone I’ve ever known, got an apartment instead of dorming. I didn’t know what real work was until I worked 60 hours a week on top of school. you don’t really know what it’s like to be broke until you get to the point when you do all that and you still live in a crappy 500 sq foot apartment and have no extra money after all the bills.

@mowens – Probably not. 6 years is a long time for growth and change. The person I was at 13 was not the same as the person I was at 19. I’m 25 now, and in the next 6 years, who knows what will happen.

Definitely the most change I’ve experienced so far…hard to say what the future may bring.

But so far, I’ve moved out of my parents house, and I have a child now, traveled to Germany and the Netherlands. I like to think I’ve become a more open minded person, and much more laid back about things.

I’m 24 years old now, who knows what else life may bring, but I’ve done a lot of changing in the past 5.

Yes, that is me,,, I am 25 now as well. I have found myself beginning to fall for someone I just met… (who is 19) the only thing I worry about is the age difference. Other then that everything seems to be perfect. Ordinarily I would go for it without thinking, but I kind of feel like the creepy old guy. I remember 1990! Granted, I was in first grade… but I do remember it nonetheless. He doesn’t have a problem with it… and I wouldn’t say I have a HUGE problem with it… its just more of this little voice in the back of my head screaming “You’re a pedophile!!!”

as morrissey said:

the moods and the styles too frequently change from 21–25, from 25–29.

@mowens Don’t worry about the age difference. Mental maturity matters more than a number any day, and I know that from first hand experience.

For me, it was a huge difference. Wow, the things I thought I knew… For my husband, I don’t think there was any change. I’m pretty sure he’s been the same person since kindergarten. He’s one of those people.

It is a big difference. It is your first time stepping into the real world after high school and college. That can be a shock, to be sure. I remember thinking I pretty much knew everything I would ever need to know for the rest of my life. I was 23 when I realized I will never know everything there is to know. (I am not talking about quantum physics, just life.)

For me, 25–32 was filled with changes. I am now 35 and when I look at my husband who is 27 and simply cannot explain to him how different it is He has no comprehension of it, but I don’t think anyone does until they get there and are able to look back.

Thats true. Unfortunately sometimes people need to experience something before it can be understood or learned.

I remember thinking the same too, when I was getting close to graduating college (4 years ago) I was looking at all these jobs that required 5 or 10 years experience, and to me, how it wouldn’t matter. I was wrong. I work in IT now – and I can tell you first hand that even with new technologies experience matters a great deal. It reminds me of a semi related quote:

“By the time a man realizes his father was right, he has a son who thinks he is wrong.”

Life is funny in that it must be played forward, but can only be understood in reverse.

oh a huge difference…I’d say that at that point I was in the place of your new love interest, just a few years younger…I met my first husband when I was 17 and married him soon after…6 years after that I left him, because I grew in so many ways and he didn’t…at all…so my advice to you is always keep learning, always remain an inspiration to her and it won’t make a difference

I think this period in person’s life is very important. It’s the time when a person is developing into the person they will be for the rest of their life (not in all cases, but most of the time).

This knowledge has led me to great disappointment, because you meet some people in that age group and you can tell who will be an asshole for the rest of his/her life.

For me it was the biggest growth period I have had in my life. I’m only thirty, but the changes I went through from about 18 to 23 were huge. At this point, I am not the person I was at 19 at all. I don’t have the same beliefs, values or personality. Of course there are some things that are the same. I’m still cute and smart of course, but besides that… totally different person, and so much better for it. I was cool at 19, now I at least know that cool doesn’t even exist.

depends on the person some never do

Two answers. One personal, and one observational:
At 26 I had lifetime employment, which gave me money and confidence, which I severely lacked in High School.

At the 5 year reunion, the jerks were still jerks, the stuck up girls were still stuck up. The nerds were still nerds, and only the jocks seemed to have been humbled. They were the first to change.
At the 15 year reunion, the jerks were still jerks, the stuck up girls were much more open, and human, and the nerds were still nerds, but making a good living.
At the 25 year reunion, the jerks were bitter jerks, the stuck up girls were attracted to the nerds, who had made millions.

That all depends on the person and their circumstances.

That’s a magnificent summation, @filmfann. Had you already crystallized your observation, or did this question bring it out?

@Jeruba Thank you. Developed as I was writing it.

@filmfann, it’s almost a screenplay (treatment). A greeting card. A wall poster. A miniature essay for a national magazine. All it needs is a one-line lead to set it up, a little tweaking of punctuation, and the addition of the word “and” in front of “the stuck up” in the last line. Perfect.

@Jeruba (blushes)

Agreed, I can definitely see that on a poster to keep near a desk or something of the sort.

I didn’t change at all between 19–25. For me, it certainly wasn’t a time of huge changes, mentally or physically.