DE: Rites of Passage

[yakalskovich]

 As I am facing one tomorrow, I have been thinking about rites of passage a lot lately. A good friend of mine from university once described them (à propos of me worrying about my MA oral exam)  with the following words: 

"You will be scared beforehand, not quite knowing what to expect, it actually will hurt a little, and afterwards you'll be part of the in-group"
 

Now, what are the rites of passage, officially or symbolically, in your characters' worlds and lives?