At 15 years old, I was naive and careless. I thought I had the world all figured out already when, in reality, I had absolutely no idea what was going on or what I was doing. Even at the age of 20, I still do not have a single clue what I'm doing half of the time, but I can say that I've learned and experienced so much more than I did five years ago. If I were to ever meet my 15-year-old self now, I have some advice for her that I wish I knew back then.
Here are 15 pieces of advice for 15-year-old me from my 20-year-old self now:
1. Take school seriously and apply yourself more, so you won't struggle to pick a college and get scholarships.
You'll thank yourself later when you get into your dream schools with scholarship offers instead of settling for your safety school.
2. Learn how to study the right away; it will help a lot when you get to college.
Memorizing your notes the night before isn't going to cut it, so get in the habit of studying days before a quiz or a week before the big test.
3. Get things done early and go to bed at a decent time.
Procrastination isn't good for you, neither is always being stressed out when you have too much to do in such little time.
4. Napping is OK, but don't sleep for so long that you ruin your routine.
Four-hour nap? No, 20-30 minutes should be enough. Don't be lazy.
5. Volunteer and become more involved.
You're going to need the hands-on experience and references, trust me.
6. Don't give up on your dreams, believe in them and work even harder.
You can do it! You got this! You do what you gotta do!
7. Fake the confidence until you don't have to anymore.
No one dares to mess with someone who is confident, so remember that.
8. Ignore what that girl said because she knows nothing especially how to mind her own business.
Girls can be mean, but don't let any of them get under your skin.
9. Boys are not worth it at this age; you'll survive without them.
I wish you knew this earlier instead of letting those boys waste your time.
10. Don't be worried about not peaking in high school.
You're going to be so glad you're a late bloomer.
11. Wearing makeup isn't as bad you think it would be.
In fact, you're going to be so in love with it, so shut up about refusing to wear some.
12. Work out and eat better if you want to maintain your body now.
Your metabolism isn't always going to be fast, you can't keep eating like sh*t, and you aren't going to be skinny forever.
13. Listen to your mom.
She isn't trying to make your life miserable. Believe it or not, she's actually trying to help you.
14. Forgive yourself when you make mistakes.
Don't be so hard on yourself. You'll f*ck up so many times, but learn from them.
15. Don't even memorize the MLA format, just don't.
You're going to use APA in college and that's what EasyBib is for.
I'm grateful for my high school experience and I don't regret anything. Things turned out fine. I made it out alive. I wouldn't have it any other way, but I think these 15 pieces of advice would have made high school less dreadful.
