1. Listen to music, read books, and travel as much as possible. Constantly immersing yourself in culture helps you grow not only intellectually, but spiritually and emotionally as well.
2. You may be getting older, but remember your parents are too. As your reliance on them decreases, keep in mind all they have done to get you where you are and remember to appreciate them because you never know when the day will come that you won't be able to anymore.
3. When things don't go as planned or tragedy strikes, you have two choices: you can let the wave knock you down and sulk in your own misery, or you can face it head on. If you choose the latter, though the wave will succumb you and take you under for a moment, you will come out of it cleansed and stronger than ever.
4. Your digital footprint does not wash away; be cautious of what you post on social media. Though there is nothing wrong with having a good time, it isn't necessary to post drunk pictures and videos of yourself across all your social media platforms. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't make you look cool or popular, and it won't look very good to future employers either.
5. Take care of yourself. Drink plenty of water, eat your fruits and vegetables, and throw on a nice smelling face mask before bed on those extra stressful days. A little TLC can go a long way for your mind, body, and soul.
6. Don't rely on someone else for your happiness. There is a fine line between love and dependence, and in order to make a relationship really work, you need to love yourself first. If you wait for someone else to bring you that self-gratification, then the minute they're gone your happiness will be too.
7. Your party friends are not your real friends. They may joke around with you at 11 pm on a Friday night while you're together sipping on red solo cups, but they won't be there when it's 2 am on a Tuesday night and you just need a shoulder to cry on.
8. Nice guys always finish first. Being rude may get you want you want in the moment, but having a kind, genuine heart is what gets you further in the end. People may not remember your name, but they will always remember the way you made them feel.
9. Put your phone down every once in a while. Soaking in the world's beauty through your own eyes as opposed to the eye of an iPhone camera is much more rewarding.
10. People will always have something to say about you, so you might as well do what you please. True friends will stick with you through all your decisions, and the ones that don't aren't worth the trouble anyways.
11. It's okay to be sad. Ugly cry all the way through your favorite Adele song, eat some chocolate and scream into the mountain of pillows on your bed. It's important to let yourself feel your emotions full force for a little bit, just don't let them consume you.
12. You're going to get rejected, and you are going to fail. Just know these things are a lesson learned and it's okay to not be perfect. Without failure, we would not know the beauty of success.
13. The world has much more to offer than what is enclosed within the walls of your high school. The drama that seems so significant there at the time will not matter once you graduate, and neither will your popularity.
14. Life is not a competition. There could be someone out there that you think is prettier than you, or smarter than you, but you can't compare yourself to a rose when you are a daisy.
15. Never settle. You are too young to settle with something or someone if you don't see it going anywhere or benefiting your future in any way.
16. Even through the dark times, find reasons to love the world and it will love you right back.
17. Take care of your planet. Refrain from creating litter, recycle as much as you can and find as many little ways to be green as possible. The smallest acts of loving your Earth will make a big difference in the future. It's your home, after all.
18. Everything will work out in the end. Often times you may find yourself in a stressful place where everything seems to be going wrong at once, but have a little faith in the fact that your hard work will pay off in due time.
