I just recently turned 19, and, over those 19 years, I've learned a lot. Each year I learn something new, and each year I become wiser. Here's some advice I would give my younger, less wise self if I had the chance:

1. Do what you love, regardless of what is considered “cool.”

I love gaming, but, when I was younger, I never did it because it was considered “uncool,” and it made you a loser. Once I stopped caring about what others thought about what I did, I began to love it again. Stopping yourself from doing what you love will only make you miserable.

2. Be confident in who you are

You can’t change who you are. You are beautiful exactly how you are. Don’t try to change or suppress the person you are, because then you aren’t being true to yourself, and you’ll just make yourself feel lost. You may wish that you could be someone else, but chances are that someone else wishes they could be you.

3. Don’t let the bullies get you down. Once you leave high school, they’re gone forever.

I was bullied in middle and high school. Socializing with me was social suicide, so I didn’t have many friends in my class. In college, this is a non-issue. I don’t see the girls who made fun of me behind my back and playing tricks on me. Campus is so big that if you don’t want to see someone, you’ll never see them again. So don’t let the bullies stop you from being you. It sucks now, but soon enough they’ll be gone, and until then, ignore them. They’re petty and not worth your time.

4. Work hard, then reap the rewards.

My senior year, I wanted nothing more than to go to Georgia Tech. I worked my ass off on my application, nitpicking my college essay, retaking SAT subject tests I didn’t do well on, and making sure my grades were stellar. And now, here I am, loving every moment of my time here. Hard work pays off, and it feels so amazing when it does.

5. Don’t neglect your friends because of a boy (who won’t even be in your future).

In high school, I lost a few friends because of a boy. I wanted to spend all of my time with him and I neglected my friends. Flash forward to junior year, when that boy and I broke up. I didn’t have many friends to turn to because I had pushed them all away. Boys may come and go, but your friends are forever.

6. Surround yourself with people who love and appreciate you for who you are.

As important as it is to support yourself, it always helps to be with people who believe in you. Hit a snag on your coding project? Your friends will bump you up. Can’t figure out that physics problem? The people around you will let you know that you’ve got this. If you surround yourself with the right people, they can give you that vote of confidence that you need to get to where you want to go.

7. Don’t skip out on something just because you think you’re going to fail.

I didn’t apply for as many scholarships as I should have in high school. I applied for two and got rejected for both, and then got discouraged and stopped applying. Being an out-of-state student is expensive, and those scholarships are desperately needed. I just received a $1000 scholarship from WIE. Don’t give up just because you think you’ll fail. You’ll regret not trying more than you’ll regret failing.

8. Don’t be afraid to let go.

There are some people in the world who are toxic, and all they do is bring you down. You need to learn to let go of them. That boy who just makes you miserable, who you say you love? Let him go. The right person won’t make you feel like that. That “friend” of yours who only brings you down and makes fun of you for the things you love? Let her go. You will feel so much better without all of that negativity in your life.

9. Your family loves you; don’t ignore them.

I spent most of my time in my room playing on my phone or reading books. I didn’t spend as much time with my family as I should have. Now that I’m in college and I only get to see my family for a few months at a time, I miss them. I miss hearing my sisters yelling and playing games. I miss hearing my dogs fighting. I miss hearing my parents laughing in the kitchen as they cook dinner together. Don’t ignore your family while you still have them because soon, you’re going to miss them like crazy.

10. Don’t dwell on the past; you can’t change what is already done.

There are a lot of things that I regret. I regret how stupid I was when I was younger. I regret hurting all the people I hurt throughout my lifetime. But what is done is done. You can’t dwell on the past and hope that somehow it’ll magically change to be what you want it to be. All you can do now is look back on it and make sure not to make those same mistakes again.

11. Stop talking badly about yourself.

I know you do it. You call yourself so many bad names under the sun that it’s hard to keep track. Stop it. You are a beautiful and amazing person. Don’t believe the names you call yourself. You are so much better than that. If you keep thinking negatively, it is going to make you miserable. Think positively, and you’ll be so much happier.

12. Take joy in the little things in life.

Get excited about the puppy walking past you in the street. Get excited about blowing bubbles on a warm spring day. Get excited at how the grass is turning green after a dead, brown winter. There is nothing wrong with getting excited about the little things. If you get excited about the little things, there is more joy in the world for you to find.

13. Love with all your heart.

When you find the right people to love, love them with all your heart. Give them your everything and don’t hold back. Whether it be the love of your life, or an amazing friend, give them your all, and they will give it in return.

14. Take risks.

You’ll never know if you don’t try. It’s true when they say that you’ll regret the chances you don’t take. There are so many things I wish I had done instead of being afraid to fail or being afraid of getting hurt. Go to that party with your friends, go on adventures. Have fun.

15. Let your imagination run wild.

Whether it’s during a car ride to pass the time or while you’re writing a story, your imagination is amazing. Never stop creating beautiful stories and imagining new things. Don’t let anyone take your creativity away from you.

16. You have the power to control your own destiny.

You are the only person who controls your life. You make your own decisions, and at the end of the day, you are the one who has to live with yourself for the rest of your life. Don’t let anyone else control your life. Do what you want to do, and make the decisions that let you go where you want to in life.

17. Stand up for yourself.

You can’t let everyone walk all over you. If you don’t stand up for yourself, you will never get what you want. Let people know what you really think, and let your voice be heard. I know it’s hard sometimes, but it will be so worth it in the end.

18. Know your limits.

You’re not going to be able to read 100 pages in English, do physics homework, math homework, and hang out with your boyfriend all in one night. Know your limits and know when to set things aside for later. Don’t try to do everything at once, because you’ll just burn out. Once you burn out, it’s hard to get back, so be careful and take your time. Don’t overload yourself and learn to prioritize.

19. Be proud of who you are and what you will become.

Everything you do will determine who you will become. Embrace who you are and embrace what you will become. You are going to grow into an amazing, beautiful person, and you are going to love it. I know you can do it, you’ve got this.

You are an absolutely amazing person and I know you don't always see it or believe it, but it's true. As the years go on, you'll learn more and more and learn to love yourself. Personal growth takes time, and darling, you have all the time in the world.