What I Wish I Knew At Age 18

Here's everything everyone wish they knew at the age of 18. The number next to it indicates the age the author wrote it at.

Hey 18 year old, If you still want to connect with your inner child as an adult, you can. In your remaining free time, try building things with LEGO, making things with clay, scrapbooking with stickers, watching cartoons, coloring books/apps, and whatever you like.

Hey 18 year old, Some basic ways to help the social causes you care about are petition sites like Change.org and Care2. Not to mention click to donate sites (where you look at ads of companies who sponsor charities.) The most famous of this is Free Rice, a quiz game.

Hey 18 year old, Whatever career path you choose, look for online communities on it. If you're in IT, look for a programmer forum. If you're in the arts, look for art videos. If you're in nursing or training to be a doctor, look at med school memes. Research.

Hey 18 year old, If you need help organizing your life, look up how to make a mind map, the different uses of the mind maps, the benefits of mind maps, mind map apps, mind map websites, and mind map books. It organizes EVERYTHING in your life.

Hey 18 year old, There are better ways to contribute to society than criticism and complaints alone. Yes, those things are needed, but criticism without specific solutions or specific actions will do nothing. Keep this in mind when you judge others. What do you do?

Hey 18 year old, One essential grown up advice? All types of fruits, vegetables and other healthy food can be more easily eaten if you find recipes that make these ingredients more delicious. Sometimes it's not the food, but how you cook it that matters.

Hey 18 year old, One part of learning to practice physical exercise is knowing that different people like different exercises. One might prefer yoga, another person running, another martial arts, hiking, swimming, biking, and so on. Find what's right for you.

Hey 18 year old, There are lots of educational apps if you check that can be very useful for studying, or even for exploring new intellectual or creative interests if you're geeky like me. Sure, there are lots of ones for kids, but many are for adults too.

Hey 18 year old, If you want to explore more about the social commentary on different internet trends to become a deep thinker of what you see online, such as cottage core, material girl, plastic surgery on social media, romanticize your life movement, and more.

Hey 18 year old, Other than guided meditations on YouTube, mindfulness meditation apps can help, such as with Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer, Smiling Mind, Buddifhy, Simple Habit, My LifeMeditation, UCLA Mindful, Healthy Minds Program and more.

Hey 18 year old, If breathing meditation helps you, then other types of meditations that are less well known can help too, such as walking meditation, body scan meditation, mantra meditation, noting meditation, and loving kindness meditation are the basics.

Hey 18 year old, If your body and muscles feel tense, try looking up how to do progressive muscle relaxation technique. It helps calm you down emotionally, by first helping you release the tension from your physical body, which often happens without you realizing.

Hey 18 year old, If you're looking to date as a man, know that what women want is a sensitive guy in touch with his own emotions, his humor and spontaneity. That's why women want the brooding moody creative man. Not the manly jerk with no emotions.

Hey 18 year old, Other than getting classic self defense items online, look up some self defense moves for women to try, if you feel unsafe on the streets or even in your own neighborhood. Check out self defense moves from YouTube too, for some ideas.

Hey 18 year old, If you're the artistic type, know that writing poetry or even reading poetry can help you make sense of your emotions. Look up the website Family Friend Poems for example, Button Poetry on YouTube, or the Ted-Ed poem playlist.

Hey 18 year old, Go to the YouTube channel Dad, how do I? for some fatherly advice for both guys and girls on fixing stuff, baking/cooking stuff, or just advice on life in general. A YouTube channel by a dad who never got to have his own dad, so he became one to you.

Hey 18 year old, If you've never got to experience having a good mom or dad, or even have one of those at all, look up the subreddits /r/dadforaminute or /r/momforaminute, to have some substitute moms/dads around to ask advice from.

Hey 18 year old, If you like Reddit, look up self improvement subreddits like /r/Decidingtobebetter, /r/Lifeprotips, /r/YouShouldKnow, /r/Zenhabits, /r/Meditation, /r/Loseit, /r/Changemyview, /r/Stoicism, /r/Nofap, /r/Lifehacks and more.

Hey 18 year old, If you want to see something optimistic on the news for once, go to websites like Goodnewsnetwork, Positive News, Happify Daily or Sunny Skyz. There are so many good things in the world, yet it gets less attention than bad news.

Hey 18 year old, Be careful when you're only with someone as a friend or even as a partner out of pity. This is not true love, and you can still help them without being their lover or even a friend. Though if they don't want help even as you try, they won't change.

Hey 18 year old, If you have problems with anything in life and you're too insecure for it, you have to start reading books on confidence. Without confidence, nothing you practice will really last. Look up books on confidence or books on self esteem online please.

Hey 18 year old, hi

Hey 18 year old, time to start sex at lest at 13!

Hey 18 year old, If you're smart and curious, learn a little bit more about philosophy, even from short videos on the internet. It will teach you a lot about life, meaning and purpose if you're stuck on that.

Hey 18 year old, Do not be intimidated when you go to the gym, and you don't think you're fit enough to others. Even the most intimidating muscle guys/gals can be nice and answer questions.

Hey 18 year old, If you're looking for an IT education, Harvard has a free certification for its online course CS50, Harvard's Introduction to Computer Science and Programming. Free certification is rare.

Hey 18 year old, Contrary to societal expectations, mental health and happiness increases with age according to scientific studies. If you feel horrible these days, know things get better as you get older.

Hey 18 year old, If you're considering inviting someone who menstruates at home, especially someone you're in a relationship with, add a trash can in your bathroom for less awkwardness. Believe me.

Hey 18 year old, If you need more in depth research for college, look up Archive.org has millions of books that are for free, and are hard to find anywhere else. Really helps your grades along the way.

Hey 18 year old, If you feel like you've missed some lessons on how to be an adult from your younger years, look up the advice for 13-17 here even if it wasn't really meant for you, if you feel behind.