'The teenage years are the best years of one’s life.’ Would you agree with this view? (CAMBRIDGE NOV 1994)

Teenage years - what we all know as the intermediate stage of our lives where we undergo the change from an adolescent to an adult. No matter how much we love or hate our teenage years, one has to admit that the teenage years are indeed the most important and the best of our lives.

Although many teenagers do not realise it, our teenage years are the highlight of our lives. It is the point of time where a person undergoes the "rites of passage" into adulthood. It is when one recognises his or her responsibilities and expectations. During these period, parents start to pass on responsibilities to their children and place more trust in them. We learn how to manage tasks given to us during our teenage years. It is only in teenage years that we are first given the opportunity to learn how to manage responsibility and how to gain trust.

Teenage years is also a time where one experiences attraction to the opposite sex. Dating and relationships are just a few things that teenagers learn during this intermediate stage of their lives. No matter the outcome of the dating, these experiences will stay etched in their minds for the rest of their lives.

Another joy of teenage years is that it is the point of time where the body and the mind is at its peak. A teenager has the capability to perform better than any other adult both physically and mentally. It is no wonder that many refer the teenage years of a man as their "prime".

Most importantly, the teenage years is a time of experimentation. Teenage years is a time of discovery. Most teenagers are still protected by their parents who are there to help their children when in need. Therefore, this then gives them a "second shot" at new things. This experimental stage allows teenagers to learn new lessons and still be able to fall back upon their family when they encounter setbacks. This "exclusive right" is only open to teenagers.

Like building blocks to a skyscaper, teenage years are a crucial component in a person's life. No matter how we love or hate our teenage years, we cannot deny that it is the most exciting and significant part of our lives.