"You're only young once": Things college students report doing now before it is too late.

Abstract: 

This exploratory study examined the extent to which emerging adult college students report engaging in behaviors now because they feel they will lose those opportunities later in life. Students at a large Midwestern U.S. university (N = 248) reported how often they do or try something because they will not be able to do it later as an adult and listed examples of those activities. A majority of students (76%) listed at least one such behavior. Analysis of the listed behaviors uncovered 8 thematic categories: (a) travel/adventure, (b) social events, (c) alcohol/tobacco/drug use, (d) relationships, (e) carefree lifestyle, (f) sports/action, (g) academic/career, and (h) independence/ personal expression. Implications for studies of emerging adulthood development and risk-taking are discussed.