21 Things I Learned By 21

Bailey McBride Student Contributor, Pennsylvania State University

Samantha Grillo Student Contributor, Pennsylvania State University

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

With my 21st birthday on the horizon, I thought it would be appropriate to bestow upon all of you the 21 best lessons I’ve learned thus far in my life:

1. Don’t let anyone else make your decisions for you.

2. Toughen up; the real world SUCKS.

3. Anyone who says high school is the best years of their life never went to college.

4. WASH YOUR FACE! For the love of god, adopt some kind of skin care routine.

5. Be a leader, not a follower – leave the following to social media.

6. DON’T CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE BASED ON YOUR HIGH SCHOOL “SWEETHEART”!

7. Buy a planner and a calendar… maybe three of each.

8. Never feel annoying for asking to take a picture.

9. You’ll make mistakes, but it’s better to make mistakes now rather than later on down the line. Make sure you feel your mistake so you never do it again.

21 Things I Learned By 21

1. Don’t let anyone else make your decisions for you.

2. Toughen up; the real world SUCKS.

3. Anyone who says high school is the best years of their life never went to college.

4. WASH YOUR FACE! For the love of god, adopt some kind of skin care routine.

5. Be a leader, not a follower – leave the following to social media.

6. DON’T CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE BASED ON YOUR HIGH SCHOOL “SWEETHEART”!

7. Buy a planner and a calendar… maybe three of each.

8. Never feel annoying for asking to take a picture.

9. You’ll make mistakes, but it’s better to make mistakes now rather than later on down the line. Make sure you feel your mistake so you never do it again.

10. It’s ok to miss the party.

11. It’s ok to go to the party – but don’t be stupid.

12. Never be afraid to reach out for help.

13. Tell your parents you love them; call your mom ten times a day.

14. Spend time with your siblings; they miss you when you’re not around, even if they don’t say so.

15. ALWAYS PET THE DOG!

16. Fall in love… fall in love hard.

17. If your friends aren’t supporting you in every way, they’re not your friends. Find new people… trust me, it’ll be worth it.

18. Give up on people-pleasing.

19. Give no sht, take no sht!

20. Educate and inform yourself; don’t let yourself live in a bubble.

21. LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT TO LIVE IT!

We wanna slide into your DMs

21 Things I Learned By 21

1. Don’t let anyone else make your decisions for you.

2. Toughen up; the real world SUCKS.

3. Anyone who says high school is the best years of their life never went to college.

4. WASH YOUR FACE! For the love of god, adopt some kind of skin care routine.

5. Be a leader, not a follower – leave the following to social media.

6. DON’T CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE BASED ON YOUR HIGH SCHOOL “SWEETHEART”!

7. Buy a planner and a calendar… maybe three of each.

8. Never feel annoying for asking to take a picture.

9. You’ll make mistakes, but it’s better to make mistakes now rather than later on down the line. Make sure you feel your mistake so you never do it again.

10. It’s ok to miss the party.

11. It’s ok to go to the party – but don’t be stupid.

12. Never be afraid to reach out for help.

13. Tell your parents you love them; call your mom ten times a day.

14. Spend time with your siblings; they miss you when you’re not around, even if they don’t say so.

15. ALWAYS PET THE DOG!

16. Fall in love… fall in love hard.

17. If your friends aren’t supporting you in every way, they’re not your friends. Find new people… trust me, it’ll be worth it.

18. Give up on people-pleasing.

19. Give no sh*t, take no sh*t!

20. Educate and inform yourself; don’t let yourself live in a bubble.

21. LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT TO LIVE IT!

We wanna slide into your DMs

19. Give no sht, take no sht!