Last week I celebrated my 23rd birthday! A sentence that truly seems unreal to say as I think I am still 18 and just starting college when people ask me how old I am. “Age is just a number” is something my Nanna likes to remind me of regularly and with her youthful looks and young attitude, I truly believe her. As this is my last year of college, which means my last year writing for Her Campus, I thought I would write an article about all the things I have learned by 23. Things that I wish someone had told me when I was younger. I’m not very old, but in my short life, I have had a number of experiences that I think the average 23-year-old has not been through like moving from a small town in England to the big city of Los Angeles. All of which has taught me a lot. Hopefully, you can learn something from this list or maybe feel some reassurance from some of the things I’ve mentioned!
- Some friends will stay and others will go as you move through different stages of your life. Some people are a blessing, others are a lesson. Be thankful for your memories and for the ones yet to be made.
- Make sure your actions show those who are important to you, what they mean to you.
- Remind those that you love, that you love them often.
- Check-in with your friends. You never know if they may be silently struggling with something.
- Be kind to everyone you meet even if they aren’t kind to you. It could make a big difference to their day.
- Your body is constantly changing! Grow to lean into the changes and love your body! Loving your body also means going to those dreaded yearly checkups.
- Being a girl can be difficult sometimes with all the hormones so don’t be hard on yourself. If it is a cry, sad movie, and chocolate kind of night, do it!
- Hip dips, cellulite, and acne are all normal. As well as the lower stomach pooch. It’s there to protect our organs and we need it!
- Blemishes and spots never truly go away and that’s ok.
- No one is perfect. We all have little kinks whether it’s mental or physical or both but that is what makes us human. We need to learn to love and accept it, but to also be thankful for things that don’t have kinks.
Her Campus Media - Move every day! Take a walk, stretch, do some yoga or a workout. You will always feel better after!
- Stop watching Tik Tok or Netflix until the early hours of the next morning @myself.
- And also stop comparing yourself to others, especially on social media – Your wealth, your body, your weight, your work, your friends, your growth. You do you!
- Some days are difficult but those days only last 24 hours.
- Take time in the day to breathe and stop. It’s important to take a moment every day to do something for yourself.
- Grab opportunities and make the most of them! Even if it is difficult in the moment.
- Going to university is scary at first but will be a great decision. It will end quickly and you will miss it when it’s time to leave.
- Make the most of your classes and work hard because this is a time to be selfish and work on yourself (but also because you’re paying a lot to be there). This is a time to learn and try new things that are interesting to you.
- Hang out with your friends as much as you can! One day it will change and it will be difficult to do just that.
- Make time for others even if your day is crammed.
Pexels / Alana Sousa - Hug your pets! Hug your pets! Hug your pets! Their time is so limited compared to ours and we are their whole world.
- Always get that piece of cake or scoop of ice cream.
- Celebrate every birthday. Even if it’s not a big birthday, each new year is important to celebrate.
So, that leaves me to ask what have you learned in the number of years you’ve lived? What would you tell others on your list?