12 Things I Wish I Knew At 17

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1. Skipping class and dumbing yourself down to try to make people like you is going to get you into a lot of trouble. Real friends won’t like you for this; they will like you for your true self. If you dumb yourself down, you’ll fail classes and you’ll have a really hard time getting into a good college. Do what you do, work hard, follow your dreams, don’t worry about the people this attitude will attract, they will be the right kind of people.

2. Don’t drunk-call your crush to confess your love at 4 in the morning on a Saturday/Sunday night. He’ll be an ass, he’ll embarrass you in front of his friends, he’ll ignore you for a long time, and you’ll be hurt. But ultimately, you won’t regret it. You’ll regret the fact that you were drunk and you did it the wrong way. But if you like someone, or if you love someone, it will be worth the shot. You should tell them and whatever happens, happens.

3. You will still be obsessed about those friends who ditched you at 15. You’ll get over it pretty soon, when you find new friends who love you for who you really are. Understand that you’ll lose those friends as well, and many more who come after them. And that’s just life. Your friends will always be a big part of you, and they’ll come and go. It will be better for you if you understand this, and accept it.

4. In your 20s, you’ll still be in search of love. As your older self types this, she still won’t know what being in love feels like, kind of. You’ll care about people, you’ll go out with boys and even girls. Eventually you’ll find someone and fall in love with that someone. But you will also realize that loving people is as important as being in love with people. It will be more than alright.

5. Literature will kill you, and it will give you life. You will love books and writing and reading with all your heart, and then you’ll hate them and waste your time on everything else. You’ll be confused, you won’t know for sure if writing is what you want to do, you won’t even know if you want to do anything at all. There’s no rush, you will never figure it out probably, but it will be exciting.

6. Don’t be afraid to travel alone. In time, you will like it, even if it still frightens you. In a year or two, you’ll start to like museums, and sitting alone in coffee shops, and eating by yourself in restaurants. You’ll be constantly surrounded by people, and you will enjoy this little moments by yourself. Use them, take advantage of the little conversations you have with your pen and notebook in airports and train stations. They will provide the greatest ideas and most solid writing you ever do.

7. For god’s sake, don’t waste your time on social media. No one cares about your tweets, just like you don’t care about anyone’s tweets. Your last year of high school will be wasted on cheap wine, tumblr, and messed up life choices. When you get to college, you’ll grow up a little bit, and you will start living in the now instead of a computer screen. The temptation will be fiery, but it will be worth it to avoid it.

8. People will break your heart. It will be smashed over and over again, for stupid, insignificant, sometimes meaningless things. One day you’ll stop letting people in, and it’ll be just as hurtful. Try to find a balance, don’t take other people’s feelings for granted, be considerate. Strangers and friends alike will be cruel to you if you keep on being cruel and mean to them. Embrace the fact that you’re not made of rock, nor thin silk.

9. Before you know it, you’ll have a job and be in college at the same time. Weekends will come and all you’ll feel like doing is binge watching House of Cards with pizza or drinking rosé while you try to get stuff done on a Friday night. It will be stressful, you’ll wish you were irresponsible, you will want to yell and you’ll beg for time for yourself or for your friends. Building a career is all you’ve ever wanted, wrap your head around the fact that even though it’s crappy pay, it’s still YOUR hard earned money. Embrace the fact that at the end of the day, you are getting an education, and your parents are paying for it. Rejoice in the fact that you have the energy to do both, and that will never happen again.

10. You’re much smarter than you think you are but not as smart as everyone thinks you are. Live by those words.

11. I promise you, you’ll get hotter. Pimples will go away, you’ll loose 15 pounds, and you’ll understand how mascara works. But ultimately, you’ll be more attractive because you will feel prettier, not because you actually are. Confidence is the best dress and lip color, not lying here. Once you learn to accept yourself and your appearance even a little bit people will notice, and you’ll notice and it will be like a magical world of unicorns and boys trying to get you to come home with them (and you never will go, chicken).

12. I don’t think I have a number 12. Just hang on kiddo, we’ll be alright.

featured image – Howifailedart