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The study involved 129 university students (87 female, 39 male, 3 non-binary) from Spain, Portugal, Japan, Korea, Poland, and the USA, who shared reflective essays via an online survey. The sample, drawn from higher-education contexts, offers cross-national perspectives while primarily reflecting the experiences of university-attached youth. Using a constructivist approach, qualitative content analysis was conducted within a mixed-methods framework. Categories of experiences were developed inductively and then deductively, supported by a detailed coding manual and coder training, yielding high intercoder reliability. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified three profiles: (1) Emerging adulthood as uncertainty and struggle; (2) Emerging adulthood as strengthening community and self; and (3) Emerging adulthood as a sense of responsibility and self-awareness. These profiles highlight the complexity and subjectivity of emerging adulthood, emphasizing the need for nuanced perspectives in understanding this developmental stage.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/21676968251407353","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]],"date-time":"2025-12-18T15:23:43Z","timestamp":1766071423000},"page":"272-287","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Why Am I Even Called An Emerging Adult? 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