Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
diego ph fIq0tET6llw unsplash?width=719&height=464&fit=crop&auto=webp
diego ph fIq0tET6llw unsplash?width=398&height=256&fit=crop&auto=webp
/ Unsplash

18 Things every girl should know by the time she’s 18

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SMU chapter.

1. Your parents are smarter than you. It’s not your fault. They’ve just been around for a lot longer than you. 

2. Your parents LOVE you. So, I don’t know from experience, but I’ve heard that a parents love for their child is a million times beyond your love for avocado toast. So. They created you, and will therefore always have your best interest at heart.

3. Ask for help. I don’t know about you, Wonder Woman, but I  certainly can’t do it all on my own.  Sometimes the going get’s rough, and that’s when you need your friends and family the most (see #2).

4. If that insta would make your grandmother weep, don’t post it. I think that’s pretty self explanatory, but I guess it also depends on what kind of grandma you have.

5. When a “friend” is bringing you down. You just don’t need negative people in your life, and even though it might be scary or sad, it’s the right move to cut those people out. You need to have your own back!

6. Manage your time. Learn how to balance your family, friend, school, and Netflix time. You’re a busy bee, but you can do it all with a little time management. 

7. Friend groups change with time. Just because Becky and Laura are your best friends for life right now, does not mean that Becky won’t move to Italy and Laura won’t kiss your boyfriend. Things change, and it’s okay. You’re going to be fine. It’s actually pretty exciting, if you think about it.

8. What you see on social media is not always IRL. There’s a reason my dad calls it “Fakebook.” We all get boyfriend/apartment/dog/food/life envy when scrolling through our newsfeed, but don’t let it bring you down. Life, contrary to what some may think, is not a competition. 

9. People who love working and eating healthy got there with time. No one comes out of the womb knowing how to do the perfect squat or to make kale chips. You can get there too, but give yourself some time to get there. 

10. Sometimes you have to be the bigger person. I guess we’re adults now or whatever, and being the bigger person comes with the job.

11. …but being the bigger person sucks. It’s a shot to the ego, and sometimes the heart, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

12. Love will find you when the time is right. And if love hasn’t found you, the time isn’t right!

13. But since the time might not be for awhile, you should learn to be alone. It sounds way more depressing that it actually is. Learn to be happy with you, and spend some quality time getting to know who you are and what you want out of life, before you jump into anything. 

14. To let someone down easy. Seeing as you are the most beautiful creature that has ever walked the earth, you’re going to have some suitors. Some of them suck, but some of them are actually really nice people. You don’t have to date them just to be nice, but you should learn how to let the nice guys down easy.

15. Stand up for yourself. But having said that, don’t be afraid to tell a jerk to back off when it needs to happen. 

16. Wear a nude bra with with a white shirt. Don’t wear a white bra with a white shirt. That’s just now how it’s done. 

17. And DO NOT buy that Victoria’s Secret neon purple bra with neon pink polka dots. You will never wear it, and we all know those bras ain’t cheap. 

18. “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis

Hi! I'm the beauty crazed one here at Her Campus SMU. But I also love food, coffee, shopping, traveling, laughing, and of course, writing. You can also find me rambling on about cosmetics and my dogs on my Youtube channel!
We are the SMU Team.