After my high school graduation my sister gave me 7 pieces of advice for the new journey I was about to embark on. I had already heard most of them from my mom or my dad. But the one specific tip that I will never forget is to never settle. When you settle you have to continually think about the “what ifs”. What if I actually went to the school I wanted to? What if I had actually dated that person? The point is to never settle so you don’t have to think about the what ifs, instead do what YOU want to do and what is best for YOU.

Don’t Settle On Happiness

I mean yeah it’s great making others happy, but it really only matters if YOU are happy. Don’t be that girl that misses out on the fun or the guy just because you’re too worried about upsetting other people. You can’t make everyone happy, that’s just life. What’s the point of doing anything if you’re going to be miserable the whole time? Just always remember to, “be fearless of what sets your should on fire”.

Don’t Settle On Friendships

Your friend group always seems to change, people coming and people going. But don’t settle on “friends”, because your friendships are what is going to help you through the tough times and the really bad days. You want friends that you aren’t going to get tired of, people you can always count on to do things. Get friends that you can always count on, that can be a shoulder to cry on, that can pick you up when you just want to give up. Get yfriends that you love each other so much you all just cry.

Don’t Settle On Your Future

I wish I would have realized this before I started college. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT settle on where you go to school. Chances are if you just choose a school, because you just can’t figure out where you want to go, you aren’t going to be happy there. You’re either going to wish away the best 4 years of your life or you’ll find yourself transferring to other schools. Also, don’t settle on your major. I’ve only been in school for a month and a half, and I’ve already changed my major. You just have to sit down and think, “Can I do this for the rest of my life?” or “Will I be happy doing this 10 years down the road?”. Settling for anything creates a mediocre life, and no one wants that.

The moment you settle, is the moment you lose yourself. When you settle, you aren’t who you truly are. You’re altering yourself to fit into a place or a situation that you don’t want to be in. The point is to do what you want to do. Be friends with whoever, go where you want to go to school, date whoever makes you the happiest, JUST DON’T SETTLE. You have to think about yourself in situations. How is this going to affect my future? Could I do this for the rest of my life? I wish I would have had this advice the beginning of my senior year of high school, I would have done so many things differently. Thank you, Ivy.