In grade school, I couldn’t wait to turn 20. I thought for sure I would have everything figured out, ready to take on the real world. Not even close. I’ve slowly figured out a few things that I wish I would have learned earlier on. It might have made my transition to adulthood a little smoother.
1. Nobody does anything for you anymore.
We’re not tiny and cute anymore. Nobody wants to jump to help you do anything; you’re expected to do it yourself and get where you need to go. Throw yourself into the big kid world and figure it out, you’ll be fine.
2. Save money.
Money isn’t everything, but I’m finding out that it’s a lot nowadays… Put money away. Life gets very expensive very quickly. In high school, I would drop $20 on Panera twice a week and not even flinch. Today, that $6.50 Chipotle makes me cringe. When those bills start coming out of your account, it puts a lot into perspective.
3. Spend more time with your parents and grandparents.
You’ve heard it before but it never really sinks in until it's too late. They’re not going to be around forever so cherish these moments you have with them while you still can! Call your grandparents, go visit home and tell your parents you love them… You’ll thank me later.
4. Our metabolism is shrinking.
It is deteriorating as we speak. We used to be able to eat anything and not think twice about it. In middle and high school, our metabolism would burn everything off within hours. Not anymore.
5. Talk less, listen more.
Lately I’ve noticed myself listening and learning a lot more. I think I’m (finally) realizing that I actually don’t know it all and that I’ve got a lot of growing up still to do. Is that a sign of maturity? I hope so. I’m finding that everyone you talk to can teach you at least a little something: your elders, your friends and even your little sister. Talk less, listen more.
6. The path won't be easy.
Thinking that you are going to find the perfect school, major, internship and then nail a great full-time job immediately after graduation is a little ridiculous. I know people who have changed their major six times and ended up in great places. I know people who have transferred every semester and are enjoying every second of life right now. There are countless paths to take… Try them all until you find yours.
7. Boys still suck.
Will this ever change?
8. It’s OK to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life… but you can’t use that as an excuse to be stagnant.
This is definitely the time to make mistakes and figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. But this is not the time to sit around, do nothing, and wait for things to happen for you. You’ve got to go out and make them happen.
9. You're young, but you're not that young.
You can only use the “I’m young, I didn’t know any better” excuse for so long. Becoming accountable for your actions may be the hardest part about growing up.
10. Nobody feels bad for you.
Fail a test? Study harder. Get a speeding ticket? Pay it off and drive slower. There isn’t always going to be someone there to pick you up and fix everything for you. You have to do it yourself sometimes. There’s little to no leniency in adulthood and I am learning.
11. Take care of yourself.
You get one body and one mind -- stop feeding it junk! Creating good habits to keep a healthy, positive mindset is so very important at this age.
12. Do as much as you can, while you still can.
The importance of getting involved in many different things is not talked about enough. How are you supposed to figure out exactly what you want to do and who you want to be if you don’t try everything out? If I would have stepped out of my comfort zone a little more in high school, I may have a better idea of where I want to be.
13. Grown up stuff.
What are taxes? How do I do them? What’s that light on my car dashboard mean? What’s an I-9? W4? My tire’s flat, what do I do? How do I write a cover letter? Your dad can only answer these questions for so long… We should’ve learned this in high school instead of studying derivatives.
14. Nothing in the past is worth dwelling on.
I think back about what I used to stress over and it is almost embarrassing. Those things mean nothing now. Focus on putting your energy into things a little more productive and you’ll find yourself a hell of a lot happier. Obviously certain things deserve to be taken seriously, but if it really won’t matter in five years, why would you waste more than five minutes worrying about it?
15. People come and go.
It’s life. People grow and move away, friendships fade. It is bound to happen.
16. Take accountability when you mess up.
You live and you learn. We all make mistakes but I really don’t think it's possible to grow until you sit back and take accountability for them.
17. Everything can teach you something, so stop complaining.
Every terrible, minimum-wage-paying job, every pointless one credit hour class, and even every toxic relationship can teach you something. Take everything as it comes and use it as a learning experience and grow from them.
18. Networking quickly becomes the most important thing in your life.
Quickly, every person you meet becomes a connection. Take advantage of that! These connections are essential to furthering a career.
19. These are the best years of your life (so far).
I’ve heard it for so long: these are the best days of your life! I agree, they’re very fun. But I can’t wait for them to get even better. I can’t wait to have things figured out, settled down. Those will be the best days of my life.
20. Have fun.
Simple. Enjoy your 20's.
