From the age of thirteen until you turn twenty years old, you're bound to experience several stressful situations, whether you already have anxiety or not. Between the struggles and physical changes you endure by growing and maturing alone and the social and emotional obstacles you face, the teenage years can definitely make or break you. As I've entered in my last teenage year, I feel I am qualified to judge these stressful situations, though you can be sure that neither of us really wants to remember any of these things. If you haven't quite entered your teens yet, use this article as a reference to regard the future. Prepare yourselves. Buckle up. It's a long ride.

1. Entering and exiting middle school

Look, if you had a great time in middle school, you're either lying, or have blocked the memories out of your system. Entering middle school is the worst because you're growing up, but you're also limited in your abilities. If you changed schools for middle school, you were probably given the 'they won't tolerate this in middle school' speech. If you didn't change buildings, you probably didn't have much of a physical jump, but emotionally, you were still affected. Puberty alone could have ruined your middle school experience. Exiting middle school, you were given the 'they won't tolerate this in high school' speech and if you didn't make a jump coming into to middle school, you definitely will leaving. So your awkward years are over but your almost-adult life is just beginning. Get ready to change for the next four years.

2. Getting a job

So this isn't necessarily age-attached and may not even happen in your teenage years. For most of us however, this is a true occurrence. You've never had a job before and if you're under sixteen, you probably need working papers, which can be a hassle. Heading into your first job can be absolutely nerve-wracking. When you're in your teens, you're definitely not exposed to the working-world as much as you should be, so by the time you are trying to be employed, you don't know squat about taxes or tax forms or really even things like social security. By the time you actually acquire the job, you're so worried about messing up and ruining something that the first few weeks can be terrible. Maybe your first job was easy as pie and maybe it wasn't. Maybe your first job was bagging groceries, or mowing lawns. Maybe your first job is still your present job. All of this is okay. What matters is that you understand that you could overcome this process again and that you know how to prepare and approach the situation next time.

3. Puberty

Okay, so this is really similar to number one, but still deserves its own number. Puberty could be something as simple as growth spurts or getting boobs or your period for females. It is the start of acne, the beginning of sexual discovery, not to mention, the beginning of body odor really taking an effect on how people view you as a human being. Puberty can either make you the most popular or least popular person in school, depending how it affects you and how it affects your friends. It was something we all had to go through, but want no part in reliving.

4. Learning your sexuality

For many people, discovering your sexuality and sexual preferences happens in your teenage years. It's not limited to these years and can happen before and after, obviously, but is common during this time. After puberty and sometimes even before, different feelings can all of a sudden become evident during these years. You're exposed to so many new things and so many different things during your teen years, that if you haven't had some sexual awakening during these years, I'm sure it's coming soon. Even if your sexual awakening is that you're not sexual, it's still something you'll realize.

5. First relationship

Again, definitely not specifically limited to these years, but a lot of people experience this while in middle or high school. First relationships are awkward and confusing. Both parties are never really sure what the other side wants, you wonder if holding hands is too much PDA, or when you should get to what base at what grade. I remember hearing stories of scandals of boys in the seventh grade trying to go to second base with their girlfriends and it being like a huge gasp moment. Never forget awkward seventh grade relationships. Live and learn.

6. Any time you had to endure public speaking

If you've never been nervous before giving a presentation or speech, I don't believe you. There had to be at least one occurrence that you were a little nervous, even if you just felt your heart racing. In middle school and high school, teachers just love exposing you to public speaking. They swear they're preparing you for real life, though I'm not sure that giving a speech about a research paper on soft drinks will apply in real life, but who knows.

7. Having to save money

Especially as you headed into your late teens, you most likely had to learn to consume less and save more. If you had one or more jobs during your teen years, you had to learn about bank accounts, direct deposit and how to write a check or withdraw money. You learned about ATM's and how to use them. You learned about gas money and how to scrounge in the couch cushions for as much change as you could embarrassingly hand the guy at the convenience store in order to fill your tank a tenth of a gallon.

8. Going for your permit

Seeing as I just completed this one, I can tell you that it was not as stressful as I thought it to be. Were the people at the DMV absolutely terrifying though? Yes. Let's talk about the actual permit book, which has over 100 questions of all kinds of road rules and then you get 18 out of that bunch, which can literally be an 18. The variety of the test alone is scary. Not having all the paperwork you need is scary too. All the possible scenarios are nerve-wracking. Actually passing the test and getting your permit are only the beginning.

9. Learning to drive

Between three-point-turns, parallel parking and making sure you stop before the white line, learning to drive and taking the driving test are pretty stressful. You could be the best driver in the world and still have something go wrong because of other people on the road. If driving makes you nervous, getting in an accident or thinking about getting in an accident probably makes you shut down. If your parents taught you how to drive, you probably ended up saying some nasty things to them during the process. They probably said some equally nasty things to you. If you were taught lessons by a driving school, perhaps the driving process went more smoothly, but still there were obstacles you had to drive around. Literally.

10. Standardized Tests

If you live in Pennsylvania, you had to take the keystones in high school. For people not in Pennsylvania, these tests are serious stuff. You have to pass them in order to graduate high school and if you don't pass, you have to keep taking them until you do. They didn't cost anything, at least at my school, but if you even missed the mark by half a point, you had to retake it. Standardized tests like keystones, PSSA's and even Terranova's were intimidating to take as a student. The complete silence is always what drove me nuts, or rather, if someone was tapping their foot or pencil and you couldn't tell them to stop, it was the worst. I know the time limit freaks people out too. Standardized tests were not fun.

11. SAT's

I figured this one deserved its own section. SAT's are considered to decide your future, or at least they used to a few years ago. Now things are becoming better because universities are becoming SAT-optional or only taking ACT tests. However, if you had to take this several-hour-terrible test, you know what I'm talking about. They give you breaks in the middle where you can't talk to anyone about your test questions and if you mention anything about the test, they can rip it up right there. There's a math section, writing and comprehension. I remember having to take a teacher with you if you had to go to the bathroom and that just made me uncomfortable in general, because then your guidance counselor heard you pee. Ten out of ten, would not recommend.

12. Picking a college or path for future

It's pretty commonly said that one month you're raising your hand in order to go to the bathroom and the next you're expected to pick a career to do for the rest of your life. It's ridiculous how much stigma there is toward taking a gap year in the United States. People who do pick their careers right away are nervous but ambitious. People who decide they couldn't possibly do that are smarter in the youth's eyes but shameful in adult eyes. If you don't decide to go to college or decide to go to community college or trade school, you're also looked down upon. There's so many ways that life could change in the next ten years and we're expected to dive right into adulthood, with little to no idea of what we're doing. There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of these paths. You have to do what's best for you. It's horrifying to be thrown into something so quickly. The best-laid plans will always change.

13. Going to college/work after high school

So if you do decide to go to college, now you have to worry about whether or not you can survive it. Some people adjust, some people don't adjust right away and some don't adjust at all. If you don't go to college, you're probably heading into a job straight out of high school, which is no picnic either, because you have to learn how to pay bills and handle your own expenses for the first time. Saving money becomes especially essential here. Not having friends around because of college semesters can be difficult too. Both going to college and heading to work after high school are life-changing. You mature a whole bunch either way. You're not an less of a person if you don't decide to go to college, though. College isn't for everyone; and that's totally a-okay.

14. Independence

Inde-what? You mean because I'm 18 and over now that I have freedom? No matter where you head after graduation, you are going to be dealing with a lot of newfound independence. What you choose to do with that independence is your choice. Independence could be anything from not having a curfew to having to make your own doctor's appointments. Both can be game-changers. Independence can be extremely stressful, depending how much or how little you are given in your teen years. Everyone gains a different amount, so it can affect people in a variety of both positive and negative ways. Having too much independence can be a little dangerous and scary, while not having any can be annoying and a hindrance. Independence also means having to take care of yourself and your own problems, which sucks, especially if you're not exactly sure how everything works just yet.

15. Managing your mental health

Banking off of number fourteen, this is perhaps one of the most stressful things I've had to experience in my teen years. I've learned what makes me upset, hurts me and even triggers me in some situations. I've learned what makes me depressed and anxious. I've learned or tried to learn how to cope with theses issues. Life after graduation changes you no matter what path you choose to take. You have to mature no matter which way you go, which can affect your mental health greatly. From middle school until your nineteenth year, you will have to learn how to manage your mental health, whether it be something as simple as having a me-day every now and then to treat yourself, or realizing you need to see a therapist for your anxiety or depression. Either are perfectly acceptable and completely normal!

We've all been through some pretty stressful things in life. From age thirteen through nineteen, you will deal with some of the most stressful things you'll ever experience. (Or that's what we think now.) By the age of twenty, you'll either look back and laugh at these 'stressful times', act like they never happened, or never wish to think of them. Anyone who has experienced any of these things won't be able to blame you, no matter which avenue suits you.