I can still remember being in middle school and thinking about how cool I would be when I was finally 20. My image included perfect hair, a closet full of high heels, a raging social life, and a crisp plan for the rest of my life. Now that I am actually 20, I cannot help but laugh at my 13-year-old dream. I now understand that actual 20-year-olds wear messy ponytails, fill their closets with oversized t-shirts, and have a "social life" which mainly consists of eating pizza on the couch with their friends. As for my fool-proof plan for the future? Yeah right. The past 20 years have consisted of doubts, successes, royal screw-ups, and overcoming obstacles. I have read too many books, watched too much Netflix, drank too much coffee, and eaten too much Taco Bell. I have lost friends, made friends, chosen a career path, and stayed up laughing with my roommates when I should have been studying. Through all of this, though, I have picked up more than a few lessons.

Stand in front of the mirror and say “I’m sorry.”

Now do it again. And again. Get used to these two words because you will need to use them a lot. Say them to yourself, say them to your friends, say them to your enemies. We cannot take back our actions but we can accept responsibility for them. The ability to admit our guilt is one of the hardest skills a person will ever master.

Someone will replace you.

There will be another prom queen, sorority president, or lead role in the play. You will go back to your hometown and find another group of sixteen-year-olds giggling in the stand of football games. Learn to accept that and be okay with it. You may feel forgotten, but keep in mind that you left so you could make your mark on other places.

Tumblr and Twitter should not be your primary news sources.

These sights are fun for keeping up with friends, but do not decide who you want to be President based on an anonymous Internet account. Form your own opinions by educating yourself through credible sources.

You have to be patient.

There will be times when you do not make a team, lose an election, or get broken up with. In that moment, you will think your life is ending. What you cannot see, though, are the opportunities that are waiting for you down the road because this one thing did not did not go as planned.

Wash your face twice a day.

Never go to bed with makeup on. Ever.

Be respectful, kind, and forgiving even when the other person is not.

It is human nature to want to retaliate but know that you can sleep with a clear conscience if you just take the high road. The view is better anyway.

There will always be someone older than you.

There will be someone wiser and more experienced looking down on you the same way you look down on those younger than you. You see their inexperience and want to yell at them to make different choices. Well, sugar, someone is thinking that about you too. Save time and just take their advice.

Take more pictures.

I am not just talking about selfies, either. It is a personal goal of mine to better document my experiences. I know that, if I don’t, one day I will regret not taking that picture.

Not everything is a competition.

It is an unknown fact of life that more than one person can be successful. Remember that another person’s victory is not equivalent to your failure, so we should celebrate the accomplishments of those around us. Imagine how hurt you would be if your loved ones were too selfish to support you.

Being “sassy” is not cute if you are older than four.

Place value on traits like kindness, positivity, and patience instead of bragging about being mean. I promise that yelling at your mother in front of Abercrombie does not make you look cool.

Appreciate each phase of your life.

We spend too much time wishing and fearing and dreaming about the future that when it finally comes, we long to go back. Our favorite Cornell graduate, Andy Bernard, said, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” You are in the good old days.

Make healthy choices.

Not because you need to be size two or have washboard abs but because you will feel better. Taking care of yourself has endless physical and emotional benefits.

Do things just because you want to.

You have to do your homework. You have to go to work. You have to pay your bills. In the midst of this scramble, find a little time for you. You could read ten pages of a book, watch an episode of your favorite show, take a bath, or do whatever it is that you like to do simply because you enjoy it.

Cleaning isn’t so bad.

My fifteen-year-old self would have gagged at the thought of scrubbing a toilet. Eventually, though, you realize the alternative of living in filth is much worse.

You will not agree with everyone.

Or anyone really. I doubt there is one person in this world that shares your opinion on every single thing. My boyfriend loves "Happy Gilmore" and Miracle Whip. I despise both of these things. Does that mean that we are going to break up? No.

Do not be too “cool” for your interests.

You are only cheating yourself when you forgo joining a club or listening to the cheesy music you love just to seem interesting. Honestly, the people you are trying to impress are probably hiding their guilty pleasures too.

Splurge on nice makeup.

My hat is off to those of you with flawless skin. For the girls like me, though, just take the plunge. Your face will thank you.

There are people who would kill for the things you complain about.

Have a lot of homework? Congratulations, you get to go to school. Your mom asks too many questions? At least she cares about what is happening in your life. Yeah, you see where I am going with this. Everyone does this and I am not scolding you, just providing a little perspective we all need sometimes.

You are not better than anyone else.

A private school education, full paid scholarship, Bonnaroo ticket, vegan diet, or yoga practicing lifestyle still will not make you superior to the person sitting next to you. The fact that I get to publicly vent for Odyssey every week makes me no better, either.

I still have a lot to learn.

Every single one of us is wandering through life faking it and hoping someday we will actually figure things out. Even people like me who sit behind computers spewing their opinions and giving other people advice.