Turning 18 is kind of a big deal but kind of not. You can legally buy lottery tickets, cigarettes, and get into some places you couldn’t at 17. You can lease things, pay rent, and tons of other adult possibilities. It’s a coming of age for American teens. With this age change, I decided to ask some of my closest family and friends for a little advice and words of encouragement I should know for turning 18.

“You're a legal adult now, which first of all means you need to have everything kinda together which it seems like you're working on (proud of you) but more importantly, I hope you never stop being 100 percent you. That's what I admire most about you. You're more yourself than anyone else I know. You are so bold all of the time, and I never stop proving people wrong. You take an initiative in your own life, and I hope you never stop doing that. You don't let anyone else tell you who to be, what to wear, what to like or how to think. I think it's just as important to do that in your adult life as it has been for you the last 18 years. You don't fit in any kind of box and I hope you always stay that way and don't take anything too seriously. Continue treating life as one big cocktail party.” -a close friend

“Pay attention to your surroundings” -from my middle school best friend

“Don't go and waste your money on a lottery ticket because you won't win but I'll support you in getting tattoos of course and be there with you when it happens.” -from my best friend

“Do something related to your career on your own” -my boyfriend

“Always cover your own ass”-my dad

“You get out of life what you put in, give what you do your best efforts in good conscience and of good heart and you will reap the results”-my mom

“Always make good decisions” -my other best friend

“Think before you speak” -a close friend

“Don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today” -a close friend

“Don’t stick your tongue out in pictures” -a friend

“The past was two seconds ago and you can’t even change that, so move on but don’t forget” -a friend

“Keep your head up because the second you let it down bad people will surround you.”-a close friend

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or to anticipate troubles, but to live in the moment.” -a friend

“I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party”-a friend

“Take pictures of everything, I know you love looking back at them”-a friend

“Worry about nothing, pray about everything”- my roommate

“Always eat mini corn dogs before recruitment”-my roommate

“Just be yourself, OK?”-a friend