Welcome and please stick around/spend LOTTTTTS OF TIME researching.
It's like having a kid more than a pet...and I'm sure some non-parrot owners are thinking "my dog is my kid" or "my cat is my kid" but it's not the same. The classmate of yours also adopted a baby, which means that it takes time before they mature sexually etc (and they do change and become more difficult, especially during puberty, but they always have hormone swings and can't be safely cuddled without triggering those in the long-run-- even though they like them).
This HAS to be a whole-house, lifestyle changing decision. They are VERY sensitive to cookware (even on different floors) and certain chemicals, as well as household cleaners that most people use daily. They get SUPER attached to people as well, so now isn't the greatest time to get one, because if it gets attached to you, you will be leaving and it's very hard (and a bit dangerous) to have them in apartments due to neighbors smoking, using certain chemicals, landlords spraying for insects or doing maintenance etc...Plus the noise and the schedule they need--- 10 hours of sleep nightly, like a kid...and a place to sleep where people arent up at all hours. I know you don't know what your life will look like in 5 years, but it will likely be a challenge to keep a bird, as it would be a challenge to keep a kid (only kids can breathe what we breathe, like perfumes, candles, cleaners, air fresheners, ****PTFE/PFOA/PFCS****do not even use PTFE/PFOA/PFCs in the same house...kitchens are full of it (toasters, pots, pans, drip trays, toasters, griddles, popcorn poppers and even the bags, roasting trays, poachers, ovens, ...and then, outside the kitchen, space heaters, curling irons, straighteners, heat guns, heat lamps, certain light bulbs etc, without going into respiratory failure).
They also cost A TON to care for. Do you have a certified avian vet near you? The cost of the bird and the cage is nothing compared to long-term. They also need far bigger cages than what you will find at PetCo or pet-shops--- they need more horizantal space than vertical, but this cage should take up a chunk of a room-- not just some table-top 2 footer...that's too small.
You will also need to cook for them.. and the 10 hours sleep is key for their immune system etc-- you can't leave their cage partly covered too long either, or you will mess with hormones.
If you do get one, DO NOT give your bird shadowy space or snuggle huts---no matter how cute they look at the store. Those huts are super dangerous and shadowy spaces mess with their light cycles and hormones (impacting behavior as adults)--- they will always be looking for them, but you have to prevent that access..You also should only ever pet on the heck and neck for sexual reasons.
For food, they need more than seeds and even seeds and pellets are not enough- you have to make chop etc.
They also need hours out of the cage per day...despite dates, college, a job etc (and making that work on a work schedule is TRICKY).
Last thing- if you bond with your bird and then leave it with your parents (or, if it bonds with them and not you, but you take it with you) the parrot suffers and can scream more, pluck, get depressed, aggressive etc.
Plus, when you are older, you will want to stay out all night etc-- really rough when someone is depending on a 6AM wake-up (if not earlier, depending on your job and when you have to leave for work---they aren't cool just sitting in there when they know you are up and can hear you-- they need to be out of the cage a lot--especially if you plan to keep them cages for 8 hours or something). On top of that, they don't like the whole family usually, so while they may TOLERATE, it's hard to assume that your parents or even you (if the bird prefers them) will always all be able to interact with the bird in the same way after puberty.
