8 things I Wish I Knew at 17

Some gems to navigate early adulthood.

I wish somebody had told me the reality of life as a teenager. I was 17 when I joined University, and I thought I had my life and the world figured out. I had a picture-perfect idea of how I wanted the next few years of my life to pan out, but I was in for a ride.

Here are some things I wish I knew at 17 that would have changed some of the outcomes I experienced.

Be confident in yourself.

Being a teenager, you are susceptible to low self-esteem. Build up your self-esteem and be confident in every decision you make. Confidence will change how you present yourself to the world, and it sure is the beginning of your power woman days. Be bold, and speak up. Always.

Friends come and go.

Do not feel bad for losing friends along the way. The drama that comes with holding on to toxic friends is definitely not worth it. Most of all, life goes on.

Stop skipping class

You will probably not work in your major, but do not miss those classes. Missing class will cost you a lot of unrecovered time, and you will not catch up on time. Attend them and take notes while at it, and maybe you will not have all those retakes. (It was two, but still)

Question everything

Do not just be a yes person. Whether it is about your relationships, religion, politics, etc., you will not have the same opinions as everyone. You will not have the same beliefs you have now when you are 20. These will also change when you are 25.

Save, and save some more.

Saving your money is a game-changer, and even though you realize it when you are older, start saving now. Your parents are getting you everything you need, but there are rainy days that no one can save you from.

Stop building your life around that boy/girl.

You think you are in love now, but that will change. Build and have a life of your own and on your terms. Be comfortable being alone because only then will you focus on what is ahead of you. Boys/girls, just like friends, also come and go. So, find yourself, and love yourself hard.

Find an extracurricular activity.

Obviously, enjoy your life but do not spend a lot of your time on movies and series or parties. Join that club you think is lame in school and make meaningful connections while at it. You will thank yourself for such experiences in years to come! There is so much more out there for you to see.

You got this 💪

What you think is your worst day could be worse. Even then, you will get over it because you are a work in progress. It is okay to make mistakes but learn from them and then move forward with your life while taking care of your mental and physical health.