10 Things You Should Know

The other day I was thinking. Yes, I know: surprising. Anyhoo, I was thinking about stuff I wish I'd known or taken more seriously when I was stepping out in life - high school, college and beyond.
This is what I came up with:

1. Don't lie. This includes the trying to fit in with a group of people as well as minor and major fibs about (a) what you know, (b) who you know, (c) what you like, (d) what you did/didn't do, (e) etc...
   
2. Money sucks. It sucks your time (work), it sucks your sleep away (worrying about that rent payment), it can even start to suck your soul (getting into a job that pays a lot, but is warping you as a person). So don't owe (if you can avoid it), and stay within your means. Don't love money. It's just a tool. And one that causes more problems than it solves. When you're a student, you'll think "if only I had $500 - that would make everything okay", when you're on your first job or so "if only I had $1000...". Ten years down the road and it becomes $10K, $100K and up and up as time goes by. Wait until you have a mortgage: bruahahahahaha! Then you'll see!
   
3. Don't go into debt. It's easy to go into debt as a student especially: they're practically passing out credit cards, and tossing you student loans. You're going to be paying them back for years and years - probably longer than you think. If you DO go into debt - pay it off. You most certainly never get anything for free: if you don't pay your debt it will cost everyone around you. Literally. If you don't see how, see Item 7, and learn a bit about economics. Oh, and by the way, "The Government" is paid for by you and me and all those little guys around you. And the next couple of generations AFTER you. So there is NO free ride on "Government Paid".
   
4. Honesty is better. This includes personal, emotional, and fiscal honesty. If you don't lie to yourself (see item 1), it's easier to deal with the problems at hand. If you don't fudge the figures fiscally, you'll have a better handle on your state.
   
5. Travel now, it gets harder as you grow up. Yes, you're still growing up - even at 100 years old. When you have fewer things and fewer responsibilities it's easier to bag it all and take off for a month or more. When you have that mortgage, car payments, health insurance premiums, plus house-sized utilities AND student loans ;-) - you have to plan plan plan! You might get away for two weeks at a span. But you will be budgeting all the way. Hand to mouth is a lot easier when it's your lifestyle - and you're more adventurous.
   
6. Your family is what you've got. No matter how much you find your family annoying/pain in the arse/wish there was distance - they are yours. You are theirs. Embrace this: Someday you might be happy you did. In fact (for most people - there are always exceptions) you most likely will.
   
7. Read. Read a lot. Anything. Everything. If you don't agree with an idea - read about it! If you think you do agree with one - read both sides (a pro and a con). Read the Enquirer and the New York Times. Fantasy, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Finance, Literature, Pseudo-literature... Read!
   
8. Learn Math. Really. If you can get basic math (or "maths" as the non-US rest of the world calls it - MATHematicS), you can figure out all sorts of things from cooking (if you're dividing a nice chocolate goo recipe into half, can you split 1.5 tsp of baking powder?) Plus you might even be able to do your taxes (for awhile at least - until that Schedule A comes into play in your life - and then maybe after that too!).
   
9. Play hard. Play sports. Play games. Go hiking. Smell the flowers. Volunteer. Make mud pies. Get in a snowball fight. Socialize. Whatever it takes. Play.
   
10. I could quote Kurt Vonnegut here and tell you to wear sunscreen. That is a good thing to tell you, but there's something that may be more important: Have Faith. See Item 7 if you need more info on that one.