18 Things I’ve Learned In 18 Years | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

18 Things I’ve Learned In 18 Years

Proceed with caution.

13
18 Things I’ve Learned In 18 Years
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

In This Article:

With my birthday being in 4 days here's a list of important things I've learned these last 18 years.

Always bring back up shoes.

Whether it's a dance or just hanging out with your friends you never know when you're gonna need another pair of shoes. I can't even tell you how many times I wished I brought shoes, after years of this I finally started bringing shoes. Best decision ever.

Always trust your morals.

Many people will give you advice, and you can choose to listen to them, but the only thing you can do is trust your own past and what has formed your morals. Stick to them, you know the outcomes of the situation you have been in before don't make the same mistake again.

Be the person that you would want to be friends with.

One of my friends a while back gave me this advice, and I think it's the best thing I have ever learned. Not only has this helped me discover who I truly am and forced me to step out of my comfort zone, but it also makes me appreciate my friends so much more.

Just because someone has different hobbies than you doesn’t mean that they are less of a person. 

Not everyone is going to like the same things as you, and just because they don't doesn't mean they're weird or mean. In fact, it makes them so much more interesting. They are the people that can teach you new things and open your eyes to the world.

Treating yourself is okay once in a while.

We all have bad days where you just want to curl up with a bucket of ice cream and watch movies all night, and that's okay!

Life continues with or without you so why not make it count.

Life is always going to be busy, there will never be a break. You need to learn that there is more to life than school, work, or a significant other. Don't get me wrong sometimes those things are great but think about how great it is when you do something a little different. You don't want your life to be a repeat of something every day.

The best cookies come out a little underdone.

After years of trying to perfect my cookie recipe, I have finally figured out that the best cooking time is 11 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you take the cookies out you leave them to cool for about 20 minutes. This gives you a soft cookie. Your welcome.

Invest in an actual perfume.

When I say this I don't mean bath and body works $20 perfume. I mean a classy, expensive perfume. By only using this for special occasions it can give you a sort of confidence that cheap perfumes can't.

Everyone has their own stories, don’t try to force them to have yours.

If you are going through a rough patch in your life, do not try and force your friends to experience it with you. Your life is your own. The most you should do is talk to them about it and get their advice or ask them to comfort you.

Always ask questions.

I myself am a very curious person by nature. I like learning new things. This has given me a huge advantage in life. Not only do I learn things very quickly when I ask questions but when I see something that doesn't look right I know right away that something is off weather I'm looking at a person's actions or in biology class. It's okay to have questions. It's okay to not know something. Use it as a chance to learn.

People learn at their own pace.

Speaking of learning, not everyone gets things as quickly as you do. You need to be patient with other people. If you are handing out advice to someone who may have been in a similar situation you need to remember that they aren't always going to listen to you. And when that fails you need to comfort them instead of saying I told you so.

You should be happy with who you are.

This took me a long time to learn. Eventually, you'll realize that you're a pretty cool person and anyone that knows you personally will most likely say the same thing. You may not look or act like everyone else but that just means you have a different set of skills than others do.

People's opinions about you and your life don't matter.

People don't know what you do in your day to day life, only you know what you're doing or thinking all the time. So if only you know what's going on with you, why are you still allowing what other people think about you, bother you?

Don’t take up bad habits. 

The thing with bad habits is they are so easy to pick up but so hard to get rid of. So save yourself the trouble and try not to pick any up.

Do things that make you feel good.

Your life is about you, what makes you happy? Now go do those things. Don't waste your life away on something that you hate. In the long run, it will make your life so much more fun and enjoyable. Do what makes you feel the way your favorite song makes you feel.

Your whole life is not high school. 

This goes for people still in high school and people who love to relive high school. Your life does not revolve around your high school days. Do what you have to do, but once you're done get out of the house.

People can change for good or bad.

If someone changes for the worse it doesn't mean you have to be friends with them still. If you don't relate or agree with them don't stay.

Take pictures of everything. 

In 20 years I promise you won't remember everything you've done.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

14467
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2878
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1732
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments