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, study something in which you know there will be job if you know you will need to find one!

Hey 18 year old, You might want to go to grad school at a later time. Try to achieve a decent GPA in college.

Hey 18 year old, Do whatever makes you happy, and do it lots. Don't waste time with fake people, instead surround yourself with friends that improve you. Spend time on/find your passion in life and always keep working at it. Find multiple sources of income.

Hey 18 year old, college isn't the only answer. Trade school and alternative education are perfectly acceptable alternatives to going to a traditional colleges. Not everyone is a scholar, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Hey 18 year old, Study abroad, learn about other cultures and languages. When you come home very few people will understand your experience. The people who understand are people you should keep in contact with for life, they will go places. Connections are everything

Hey 18 year old, Re-evaluate all your beliefs. Don't let indoctrination turn you into someone or something you don't want to be. You only get one life. Yes, this includes religion, politics, morals, values, etc.

Hey 18 year old, The reason people twice your age seem like they know what they're doing isn't having that much more education--it's that they've spent more time understanding themselves.

Hey 18 year old, You don't have to go to college. It's okay to just get a normal job painting houses or something, and not have to think about it when you get home or worry about student loans. You can always change your mind and go later--the school will be there.

Hey 18 year old, dream big, act now, never give up, you're amazing!

Hey 18 year old, Best time start weight lifting dont miss that

Hey 18 year old, It's ok to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life. It's ok to not go to college. Do whatever you do for YOU, not for anyone else.

Hey 18 year old, Just because people said you were smart doesnt mean you should be afraid of picking a degree/trade that you might regret. By not making choice is a choice in itself, and the worst choice.

Hey 18 year old, It's alright. Don't be too hard on yourself. Eliminate bad habits from your life such as excessive porn watching, smoking and drugs. And start working on yourself. Know your self-worth and have some self-respect.

Hey 18 year old, start saving money, brushing your teeth twice a day, and exercising regularly

Hey 18 year old, If you live in the US or someplace with expensive colleges, think before you sign up for the student debt. College might not be as important as they make it look like, especially for tech. You can get into Google with bootcamps too.

Hey 18 year old, don’t force friendships with people who only want you when you’re useful to them

Hey 18 year old, I want a gf

Hey 18 year old, don't let anyone convince you that you can't make a living as a writer. Sure, you may not be writing the fiction you want to write all the time, but you can actually make a good living with words.

Hey 18 year old, I wish I’d studied abroad in college. What a cool way to experience another country.

Hey 18 year old, You will always love your high school sweetheart. You will never forget him/her. I can't stress enough -- do everything you can to stay with that person. Don't live a life of wishing you had done more to be together.

Hey 18 year old, You don't have to go to college. Only go if you know *precisely* why you are going. Working at an entry level job -- fast food, whatever -- is infinitely better than going to college for no reason. Shoot, join the military.

Hey 18 year old, 90% of college is going to class. Just show up.

Hey 18 year old, You think it's love, don't mistake lust and settle to early.

Hey 18 year old, Hoping to an entrepreneur for a career as a working class kid is like hoping to be a superhero or a unicorn or something like that. You’re going to have to get a wage job. But beyond that, personal connections are more important than money.

Hey 18 year old, Learn how to cook steak, salmon, and macaroni cheese properly. Your mouth will thank you, and you'll be rescued from the next five years of shoe-leather meat, flabby microwaved fish, and grated-cheese-thrown-over-pasta.

Hey 18 year old, Make sure you have a variety of friends, especially friends who think differently than you.

Hey 18 year old, Go to college and finish in 4-5 years. There will be temptations to take a semester off, travel, follow a significant other, etc. Resist them. You will be 22-23 when you graduate, which is still so unbelievably young, but you don't know that yet.

Hey 18 year old, A four-year college isn't for everyone, but if it is for you, get ready for one of the best experiences of your life.

Hey 18 year old, Don't think you know yourself, you're not emotionally strong or developed.

Hey 18 year old, Just because she's pregnant doesn't mean you have to get married if the relationship is unhealthy or toxic. You can still be a good parent without a marriage.