As I am on the cusp of 20 years old, about to enter my third generation of life, I feel mildly terrified. Soon I will have to start "adulting," which means I will have to start doing things like learning how to responsibly pay bills, look for a job, and maybe just figure out my life even a little bit. Yikes. The only thing keeping me somewhat calm about that fact, is the fact that my teen years went pretty well and I got a lot of good things accomplished. Here are 20 things I think everyone should try to do before they are 20.
1. Go to a music festival.
Before summers are consumed with a grown up job (bleck!) take a weekend to celebrate good music with your friends.
2. Eat all the late night junk food you want.
Calories don't count until the real world, I swear.
3. Sign up for fun workout classes.
Even though sometimes college can feel like a 9-5 job plus three part time jobs, you should take advantage of the Rec center on campus. Get your friends together and take boxing or zumba or that hip-hop workout class you secretly watch with jealousy. The soreness the next day will make you feel wildly productive and totally healthy.
4. Take a class you don't need for any other reason other than the fact that it looks fun.
Underwater basket weaving? Sure! Why not!
5. Talk to everyone you can.
College campuses have dozens of opportunities for you to meet new people occurring every day. Purdue alone has 29,000 undergraduates enrolled on campus, and I know maybe 1% of them. There will be almost no other opportunity in your life to meet as many interesting and fun people!
6. Participate in charity work.
Learning through service is the best type of education.
7. Start the habit of reading the news.
It's cool to be informed.
8. Stay up all night a few times, just for the hell of it.
While it is usually true that nothing good happens after 2 a.m., some of the best stories come from when it is at least 4 a.m.
9. Go a whole day without social media.
People care too much these days about the 4 inch screen that is always with them. Start the trend to just not care.
10. Do something that gives you a rush of adrenaline.
Not everyone can handle skydiving or bungee jumping, but everyone should do something once in a while that gets their heart racing. Even if that means just standing on something really, really tall.
11. Get a pet.
Even if it is just a 50 cent goldfish, it is still something you have to remember to feed. Responsibility, yo.
12. Do something rebellious.
Everyone has a rebel phase, its undeniable. Not everyone goes as far as tattoos and piercings, but it feels nice to live on the wild side. Dye your hair pink, who cares?
13. Travel.
Maybe not transatlantically, but plan a spontaneous road trip with your friends and go somewhere! There's a lot of world out there to explore.
14. Read all the books you can.
Check out the New York Times Best Seller list and dive in.
15. Act like a kid.
Pull out that slip n slide and act like you're 8 again.
16. Celebrate all the seconds you spend with your friends.
Before you all start your grown up lives!
17. Be impulsive.
Even though "act now, think later" isn't the best advice for every life situation, it can be applied to a lot of the small things. Take a break and go to the movie you want to see, go to the party even though you just decided 15 minutes ago you wanted to, live in the moment. Take advantage of the minutes that aren't planned out.
18. Buy a cookbook.
Soon, you will have to cook for yourself, and you'll want to be prepared. At least learn how to operate your oven.
19. Wear ridiculous clothes.
That tutu probably won't get much use after you graduate, so rock it every chance you get.
20. HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS YOU CAN.
College is great, difficult, educational, and most importantly, short. Make sure you can look back and say you did the most you could before you had to grow up!
