1) Listen to your parents
You might think maybe they're just staying on your back for everything for no reason. I promise you they mean everything they say and you'll be glad you had them. That advice your mom gave you when your "friend" started spreading rumors about you? Yea, she knows what she's talking about and you listen to her one day. Maybe if you would now you'd be better off.
2) That boy doesn't really matter that much
In two or three years you'll barely remember what that boy said or did to make you cry. It may seem like a lot right now but it won't matter forever. He's not the one sweetheart, no matter how bad you want him to be. This "man" you think you're with, the one who manipulates you and makes you hate yourself, he'll be an after thought in a few years. You'll still be polite should you see him on the street, but he won't get to you the way he does now. Just breathe.
3) Don't listen to people who tell you you can't do something
You'll have many people tell you in the coming years that you don't have what it takes. You'll be told you can't be a veterinarian, and you'll almost believe them. You'll be told you can't make the drum corps you audition for, but guess what, you do. You've always used other people's doubts to fuel the fire inside you, and I'm proud of you for that. The few times you almost let them change your mind, you didn't. Don't ever let someone change your mind about anything. I know you achieve every goal you set your mind to.
4) Go to that party
One night not at home won't kill you. So what if you only know two people there? Use this as a chance to make new friends, meet new people, and have fun for once. Being a homebody is great but it's not everything. I wish we had gone out more, so I'm telling you, do it.
5) Study for that exam, you'll thank me later
It's math and we never learn how to study for it. However, if you can at least try right now, You'll thank me. If you can work that D up to a C and pass the class, it'll be one less to take in college. College is hard girl, and it's harder when you think you know it all because this is the second or third time you've taken this class (if you include the Dual Enrollment classes senior year). I know you think English and Science will always be easy, but when the professor doesn't like you in a class of 5, or you're lost in a class of 300, You'll wish you'd studied harder.
6) High school is only four years of your life
Right now everything seems insane, you went from a class of 13 to a class of 100 or more. You're miserable because boys are stupid and girls are worse, I know. It's only four years, the band will make it ten thousand times better, and you'll be in that cap and gown before you know it. It'll be the best day of your life, but it'll leave you wanting to go back and step on that field at half-time one more time. It's only four years, keep up.
7) Don't spend all your money at once
Learning to save is a big thing after you've graduated. When you have to worry about spending one hundred dollars on a book for one class, you'll be glad you learned how to budget your senior year. Maybe if you'd done it sooner you'd have a little bit more money. Save it girl, you'll need it for big girl things, like bills.
8) Going away for college probably isn't the best idea
McNeese is your first choice, and you get in! Great job, but now what? Mom doesn't want you to move out first semester, and listen to her. It's harder than you think and you'll thank her for it. You'll also end up staying a whole year.
9) Keep reading and writing, it pays off
You've been reading at a college level since fourth grade, but it won't get you through college papers. Listen to your English teachers and ask for help. English ends up being on of your favorite classes, right behind science, and we've debated changing our major a few times to English Education. Keep your nose in the books and out of the clouds.
10) Be nice to everyone you meet
You never know what someone else is going through. If someone you don't know sits down and talks to you, don't just brush them off, use that time to practice speaking to people you don't know. You'll have to do it many times in the coming years, be it for job interviews, making friends in DCI, or group projects in college.
11) It's okay to break every now and then
You're a strong woman and breaking down isn't something that happens often. You've carried a ton of weight on your shoulders for the last 14 years and if you don't let go of some of it now, it affects you later in life. Keep your head held high, but don't forget to lean on those who care about you when you need a break. Don't forget to let your second-in-command handle things sometimes, you'll need it.
