As I approach my twentieth birthday, I can’t help but reminisce over my teenage years. To sum it up, I look to the wise words of Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". In reality, it was primarily the latter but I do believe that my teenage years were critical in shaping the person I am today- the person who has now entered the adult phase of her life. Instead of recounting all my middle school drama and high school hardships, I want to provide a list of twenty-five lessons that I have learned during my teen years.

1. “Dating” someone in middle school does not count as a relationship
2. You will not look lame if you go to the mall with your mom
3. Unless you want to become an architect, geometry is useless
4. Apparently, wearing a pushup bra is one of the most egregious things a person can do
5. There is always going to be someone smarter than you. If there isn’t in high school, wait until college.
6. Life becomes 100x less stressful when you learn to drive a car
7. Contrary to what middle school health class makes you believe, smoking cigarettes is not a popular activity
8. Your freshman year grades matter for college applications
9. Your fake ID sucks. Even if “it's a good one”, I promise it sucks
10. You will move on from your failed relationship even though you feel like you won’t
11. You will hear a rumor about you at some point. Whether it’s true or not, ignore it.
12. If you’re struggling with something, ask yourself if it will matter when you graduate high school. If it won’t, do not waste your time worrying about it.
13. Graduation day is the last time you will see about 50% of your classmates.
14. Don’t slut shame. People’s sexuality is none of your business and is no indication of their character
15. The burden of applying to college falls completely on you- if you don’t prepare well, you have no one to blame but yourself
16. Despite appearances, no one has a perfect life
17. For whatever reason, some people will always try to prove that their life is worse than everybody else’s
18. If you talk about your friends behind their back, expect that they do the same
19. You’ll never see people act sketchier than when they’re scheduling their road test. PSA: No one cares if you fail.
20. Don’t ask someone what they got on a test if you did well. You look hella pretentious.
21. Your parents are the best judge of character. If they don’t like your boyfriend/girlfriend/friend, listen to them.
22. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea” is probably one of the most irritating phrases to hear, but also one of the most truthful
23. Savor your high metabolism
24. Blurring the lettering on your beer or covering your red solo cup with clipart in pictures is probably one of the least subtle and most counterproductive things you can do. Either own it, or set the drink down before the picture.
25. In one sense, enjoy your teenage years because you can still rely on your parents and take little responsibility for your actions. In another sense, be excited to enter the real world where you decide your own future.