Let's be honest, high school is a very confusing time. I am sure we all thought the world revolved around us, the mystery meat in the cafeteria was the biggest news of the week and getting your crush to notice you was the most stressful thing you had on your plate. Now as an adult, I have realized that the worries of a typical high school student are petty and minuscule compared to what they are in your 20s. Looking back, there are many things I would change or appreciate more, but if I could go back and tell my 16 year old self anything, it would be...
1. That girl drama will eventually end and it will seem like such a stupid way to spend your energy worrying over.
2. That high school exams are a piece of cake compared to college exams. Try having three exams in one day that are all worth 30 percent of your final grade. Plus, the GPA scale is much harsher than in high school.
3. To focus more on A.P. classes. The better you do on your A.P. exams, the less classes you have to worry about in college.
4. To not worry about the amount of friends you have. The true ones will stick around or come back after you graduate. You will find some of the most genuine and loving people in college.
5. Exercise more and eat less junk food. Kick the bad habits now and it will be a lot easier on you in the future.
6. Not to worry too much about your weight now. If you have stayed the same size for the past four or five years, odds are the really skinny girl you were jealous of will show up to your 10 year class reunion 50 pounds heavier, and you'll still look the same. You will win in the end.
7. Follow your dreams, no matter how big or crazy they may seem to your friends or family.
8. The world does not revolve around you. Pay attention to the news and stop being so absorbed in your own little world.
9. Know that you will not be the same person you are right now in four years, and that's okay. You are allowed to and should be growing as a person constantly.
10. Let go of people that are holding you back from growing, and keep the ones that encourage your growth.
11. People show their true colors through their actions. Pay attention and learn from their mistakes.
12. Don't worry about not being able to participate in your usual hobbies in college. They will find you and if you love them enough, you will find a way to pursue them.
13. You think high school teachers are strict? Just you wait.
14. Take a finance class or two. It may suck now, but it will help in the long run.
15. When opportunity knocks, open the door. It may just change your life.
16. To learn from the things you don't like. There is a reason you had to take so many years of math – to help you confirm that you don't want to major in that field.
17. Don't dye your hair. It will end up being very traumatic for you and it will take about three years for your natural hair to grow back out.
18. Don't blink. I know that four years seems like a long time, but when you are sitting at graduation surrounded by people you can't wait to get away from, it will seem like it went by in a flash.
19. You will make mistakes, and that is okay. You will forget about an assignment, or you will oversleep, or you will goof up on a test. It is not the end of the world.
20. Stay true to yourself. It sounds cliché, but it is true. Don't act or dress a certain way to fit in. Be different. The different ones are the ones that people remember. Don't blend in.