Over the years, there have been things that I cringe thinking about. With technology the way it is these days, it’s even easier to remember the old photos, and now thanks to Timehop, old tweets and Facebook posts. In light of this, I’ve thought a lot about what I wish I could stop myself from posting. For example, I posted on Facebook four years ago on November 11, “It’s 11/11/11 and it’s been a normal day, so far…….. ;)”, and looking at that now, I’m wondering why I thought I should post that.

I also thought about the number of things I wish I could stop myself from doing, saying, or even wearing. (A sparkly purple skirt and terribly tie dyed shirt would be on the list.) Here are the list of things I wish I could tell the old me.

1. Facebook is a public thing, and yes your crush does read what you post.

Please don’t ask the world how to tell if a guy has a crush on you, because as you’ll find out later in life, he’ll let you know one way or another. Plus, not every guy is worth it, you'll know when he's worth it.

2. I know you want to wear those short jean shorts, but yes, your butt is hanging out of them.

I’m all for wearing what you feel good in. I mean I wear oversized t-shirts and jeans or leggings to class daily now, something middle school me would cringe about. But, honey, as you'll learn later in life, the Lord put a lot in that trunk of yours and if Mom says that your butt is hanging out of those shorts, it probably is, and no it’s not attractive.

3. And while on the subject, wear what’s comfortable, but please learn how to match things together.

No, those clunky Ugg boots and running shorts are only acceptable when you’re leaving the dance studio after a long night of class, not for wearing to school every day.

4. BOYS ARE NOT WORTH IT.

That’s really all there is to it, not every guy on the plant is a sweetheart and not every guy on the plant needs his head examined when he doesn’t like you back. Also, maybe don’t chase that boy across the soccer field that just makes you look really weird and desperate.

5. Also on the subject: Do not ask a guy out by text message.

Yeah, no, it isn’t just guys who do that. Once upon a time I asked a boy to a school dance via text message on my flip phone, and didn’t understand why he didn’t respond. That’s just the easy way out, and yes it’s a little shallow. If you truly care about this boy, just ask him out in person. Trust me, I’m sure he’s terrified too, especially if he does like you back.

6. Not all the friends you make, are here for life.

It’s a hard lesson to learn, but it’s true, not everyone is meant to stay in your life. Not everyone is meant to stay forever, and it’s okay. It might hurt now when they stop talking to you randomly, but your life does not revolve around them.

7. Just because your dance teacher yells at you, doesn’t mean she hates you.

Really she doesn’t, she just knows you aren’t giving it 100% and knows you can. Want her to stop yelling? Maybe give it 100% and practice your dances and she'll stop yelling? At least yelling at you anyways.

8. Also on the subject, don’t be lazy.

Just don’t, that’s all there is to it. Give it 100% every day, because it does pay off in the end. And in the grown up world, no one rewards laziness, unless that's a character in a show you're in.

9. Going out and partying all night? Totally Overrated.

Sure, go and have fun with your friends, but not getting invited out all the time is okay. Your friends aren’t purposely excluding you, they probably just forgot to shoot you a text. Plus, spending that night watching movies with your mom isn’t lame. In fact, you’ll miss that the most in college.

10. Don’t blow off every family thing that comes up.

There is going to come a time when the same family members you grew up with aren’t there all the time anymore. Speaking from where I am now, enjoy the random times Grandma wants to play cards with you. You won’t always have that chance

11. You are going to fail sometimes, it’s not the end of the world.

Failure is good for you. Ignoring your mistakes will result in you making the same mistake over and over again, and you don’t want to do that. Learn from your mistakes and move forward.

12. Time management is important.

Yeah, procrastination is bad. Please break the habit now, it's not healthy for you to be in tears every other week, because you don't understand how it's midnight and you still have three pages of math to do, a paper that's due in the morning and a 9:30 a.m class. Learn how to manage this now, you'll thank yourself for it later.

13. Do not let your judgement be influenced.

Like Mom always told you, trust your gut and let your conscience be your guide. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't and you shouldn't let others try to convince you it is. Also if these friends don't understand why you decide to not do the thing that's making you uneasy and continue to pressure you into it, they aren't real friends.

And finally...

14. Don't let your life pass you by.

You spend a good chunk of focusing on the future, usually because you're stressed out about a teacher or wanting to grow up faster so that Mom can stop yelling at you, but you're also missing some of the best, care-free years of your life. Yes, high school isn't a grand and glorious place, and not every subject should be required, (Why not teach me how to do taxes instead of focusing on teaching me logarithms, because unless I continue in that field, I will never do that again.), but those are the years where you have way less responsibility than you have in college currently and will have in the future. Enjoy your time instead of focusing on the big picture all the time.