Even though in my head I’m still about 10-years-old I do have to begrudgingly admit to myself that I am now a full-grown adult.
And once you’re in that undeniable region, you can’t help but look back at your younger years and wonder, “did I do it right? Did I do enough?”
What is the teenage stuff you should do or try before turning 18?
byu/IAMSADGGG inAskReddit
Let’s see what checklist Reddit recommends for the youths.
1. Get out there
Hiking, climbing, bouldering, travel a bit, long distance running, or vocal or music instrument, basically find a hobby that can keep you going throughout life.
Like when nothing works you know that you can always do that hobby and be good at it.
– blaspq
2. Spend time with your grandparents
I get it, “old people” are boring and a lot of them are outdated with things like technology, but your grandparents more than likely have a lot of interesting stories they can share.
– Red__Reddington
3. Get fit
This pays dividends in terms of later health
It’s a great time to try new stuff, so make the effort to find something that you love.
Some things require you to be kind of limber and flexible (e.g. gymnastics, rock climbing)
– SaidTheCanadian
4. Develop a skill
You have time to really explore a topic.
It could end up becoming a future career path, but really doesn’t have to.
It might be useful on a regular basis.
It might become your hobby as an adult. (Mine became one of my main hobbies!)
– SaidTheCanadian
5. Work out
The same effort in your teenage years will completely transform your body.
You’re in a special part of life where you can get a fit body for life with way less effort — do it, you’ll thank yourself later’
– mikeyla85
6. Make pictures
Not just before 18 but throughout your entire youth. Make pictures. Make a lot of them. With all your friends, people you meet, everyone everywhere.
I almost don’t have any pictures of myself of that time and now don’t even know how I looked during that time. 12-18 is the time to spend with your friends, outside, making memories.
– dopedudefromthealps
7. The great outdoors
Camping, Hiking, Bike riding, Swimming, Cannoning, Fishing, Cooking, and sit in front of a campfire at night and enjoy your accomplishments.
I’m 57 and still do all these things. I never grew up and kept the kid in me.
Stay out of debt for sure, grow your own garden and study animal and plant life.
Keep all that knowledge as when you become as an adult. But enjoy your young life and enjoy your life in general.
– Linuxllc
8. Ask ’em out
Asking out that girl or guy that you like (or at least making it obvious that you like him / her) instead of constantly daydreaming, wondering “what if…?” and living with the potential that the other might like you in return. (I was inactive in that regard and I kinda regret it).
It’s a good step towards maturity because later in life, you will also have to pursue your goals actively and take decisive steps towards them – it’s not like the world will hand you on a plate what you want and need.
– firebolt22
9. Just enjoy it
You will have plenty of time to be a grown up. Enjoy your teenage years. Play video games for hours on end, binge watch anime or your favorite T.V shows, listen to the edgiest songs you love, dye your hair, obsess over a band that you like, fill your room with posters, make posts that people in your high-school class will get.
When you’re older you won’t have time to play or watch as much T.V as you could when you’re a teen. When I was in high school I was able to binge watch the first season of Attack on Titan in the span of 24 hours. Now? I haven’t even been able to finish the last season! I don’t get time to spend ridiculous amounts of time into video games I love. I end up buying games and not even finishing them. There’s just not as much time when you’re an adult.
New music becomes less tolerable when you get older. The music you listen to as a teen will most likely be your favorite genre when you’re an adult. Listen to as much music as you can.
When you graduate high-school your circle of friends gets tiny really fast. You might take it for granted now, but the people you know even as an acquaintance just disappear fast. Social media was really fun back when I could make a joke online and a lot of people in my high-school commented on. You won’t have that as much when you’re an adult. Most of the people you will know will be from work, or far away (online friends you will never meet)
– Not_Adobe
10. Try a bunch of s**t
That’s my number 1 suggestion. Your goal as a teenager should be to find your passions in life early so you can foster them before its too late. the more things you do and decide you don’t like, the closer you’re getting to finding what you love.
– P**sedFurby
11. Nothing
I h**ed being a child and a teenager. Being an adult rocks.
Don’t listen to people say “These are your best years!” because they might suck and it’ll get better.
– HeartAche93
12. Be invincible
That invincible feeling you have where your body doesn’t hurt and crack when you move?
Yeah, take full advantage of that now.
– marcusawrelius
13. Hang out with your parents
if you have parents and are on at least ok terms with them…spend some time with them while they’re still young. They will get old super fast.
Let them embarrass you. Let them get on your case.
It is surprising how much you will miss it when they get older.
– coffeesippingb**tard
14. Find a hobby
Get into a sport or something you like, now, while you have time and energy.
It will be easier for you to stay in it if you’re already kind of intermediate at it and in shape.
Plus hobbies are a good way to meet people.
– RemedialA**chugger
15. Make mementos
Keep a journal and update it daily. Detail the events of your day, detail as much as you can remember. Write about the way you felt in a given moment, your interactions with people, the movie you watched, the song you listened to. Draw picture in it to illustrate how you felt or a depiction of an event in the day.
Make playlists. If you are rotating between the same songs or albums make sure to give them their own playlist. As time goes on they will become time capsules of that period in your life and you can listen to them to remember the emotions you had at the time, maybe memories of the places you were when you listened to them.
Take pictures. Take pictures of yourself, your friends, the places you go. If you are in any moment that you enjoy to any capacity take a picture to keep the memory immortalized.
In years when you look back on your life you will be able to see each day as a unique experience with different people, events, and media instead of a blur of uncertain memories.
– gumgoo
16. Enjoy it
Enjoy the last bit of your teenage years, especially with your friends as once you join the work force and start getting your career rolling so will your friends and as you may still be close finding time when you are all free can become increasingly difficult.
At least in my experience.
– wolfpack187
17. Take a finance lesson
Ik this is boring as he**, but take a finance lesson.
3 hours and you will end up saving yourself loads of debt and other problems
– Pilifino
18. Enjoy time with your friends
If you can, go on little vacations with just them. Like camping is pretty cheap, can be done with teenage money.
Take pictures and make sure they’re backed up on a separate thing than your phone, in case you lose it or something(pretty much applies to all memorable pictures you don’t want to lose). You’ll want pictures for the rest of your life.
Also the camping with only people your age kinda is good practice for being self-sufficient. You guys cook and set up the site and do everything for yourself. No parents to help.
– RemedialAsschugger
19. Get your flirt on
Maybe have light relationships or flirting or whatever. More of a practice thing too.
DON’T get stds, nothing like that, obv be careful. But learning to deal with another person, practice not being too nervous to talk to someone, learn what your boundaries are, don’t let someone walk all over you just because you like them, but also don’t become unwilling to compromise when you might not be fair to their needs/respecting differences or something.
It can get a lot messier later if you find stuff like that out after you moved in with someone.
– RemedialA**chugger
20. Learn to cook
Then learn how to cook 7 separate meals for 4 people.
Now you have 7 dinners you can rotate in a week for a family of 4, or be the most popular roommate in college.
– Talkaze
21. Learn to do stuff alone
Go to museums, hike, etc. Be okay being alone.
Don’t neglect friends, but don’t rely on them to do anything you want to do.
Do stupid stuff. Go skinny dipping, take your parents car on a late night joyride (make sure you’re properly licensed and insured just in case).
– catmom6353
22. Sneak out
Sometimes i sneak out at night with my friend and just go cycling around the village while our parents think we’re asleep.
There’s that feeling you won’t feel when you’re an adult.
– ThisIsGoodName
23. Read a lot
You’re on the cusp of really getting lots of big books. You now have the vocabulary, maturity, and the ability to understand symbolism and subtext.
Books read when you’re between 14 & 20 tend to have the biggest impact on you. They can literally shape your life.
Choose some big, chunky books and devour them: Dune, Lord of the Rings, the Bible, the Odyssey, the Iliad, Paradise Lost, The Once and Future King, etc…
Choose some shorter ones too: Lord of the Flies, A Brave New World, I Robot, etc…
It’s also fine to enjoy some “young adult” fiction (e.g. The Hunger Games)
Books contain a ton of lessons that you can learn and it can save you from learning painful ones through personal experience.
For many, college and/or university kills their enjoyment of reading.
– SaidTheCanadian
24. Go on mini-adventures
Go solo or with friends
Take the bus and go somewhere
Try staying in a hostel in another city
Or go on a backpacking / camping trip
Or just go for a hike or even a long-distance bike trip
– SaidTheCanadian
25. Don’t try to be mature
Do silly or stupid things for stupid’s sake. And some of the best memories are made when you avoid doing “adult” things. You’ll have plenty of time to drink and hookup later. Spend your time being childish and immature, just don’t do anything illegal or immoral.
Go to that IHOP at 3am. Explore those woods (either alone or with friends) and swim naked in the creek. Go to that midnight premiere in a crappy cosplay of your favorite character. If an idea for that school project seems too crazy, do it anyway. Buy a bunch of old fruit and play baseball with it.
There is plenty of stupidity to experience that doesn’t involve alcohol, s**, or drugs. So do things that might make you cringe later, but were innocent and wholesome enough that you won’t regret them.
– Ben-Stanley
26. Keep things in perspective
Your adult years are so more fun: you’ll have money, freedom. For now be grateful for the free rent and food, no responsibilities.
Be cool to your parents- they’re trying!
Focus on school and building your future life to the best of your ability.
Don’t get into legal trouble, don’t get pregnant or herpes.
Be brave with your heart: tell your crushes about your feelings.
– Not-a-Kitten
27. Enjoy your friends
After you finish high school and get into the workforce, a lot of people you know will eventually drift away, get into their own life and you’ll never see them again.
So those people? The one’s you’ve always wanted to talk to, just chat with, even, but have never had the chance to? Do it, or you’ll regret it later.
I know I do.
– Meerkat45K
28. It’s not a race
I think you need to understand that life isn’t a race, and 90% of the things people say you should do before 18 can be done at most points throughout your life.
Have fun, experiment, don’t feel pressure to be someone you’re not and 100% learn how to cook.
Otherwise you’re a nightmare to live with
– 652684010101
29. Follow your bliss
Don’t f**k about with what everyone else is doing.
You know you better than anyone, set yourself up to be the most knowledgeable person in what ever it is you LOVE.
NOW RE-learn it from bottom to top.
Now make it a business in anyway shape or form. Life set .
– scotja
30. It’s all you
Everything YOU want to do.
My personal experiences won’t be to your taste so do everything you know you won’t regret doing/not doing.
– xReyjinx
I’d say that’s all pretty solid advice! Weird number of references to skinny dipping though. Is that something y’all did a lot?
What advice would you give to a teen?
Tell us in the comments.
