People have been sharing what they wish they knew when they were teenagers – 19 belated realisations

Being a teenager is an awkward time, and part of that discomfort comes from not quite knowing the ways of the world, even if you’re on the cusp of adulthood.

Most of life’s biggest lessons don’t sink in until years later, but what if you could give your younger self a heads up? That’s what poppcurn was thinking when they put this question to r/AskReddit:

‘What’s something you wish you knew when you were 19?’

Here are some of the most valuable words of wisdom to pass down…

1.
‘Save your money. Try harder in school. Do not waste any more time on people that don’t have your best interest. It doesn’t always get better and not everything is always worth it so choose wisely.’
-Old-Masterpiece-8428

2.
‘I wish I knew at 19 that failure isn’t the end of the world.. and it’s just part of the process.

‘I spent too much time stressing about getting everything right, whether it was school, work or relationship. If I’d known back then that messing up is how you grow, I would’ve been a lot kinder to myself.’
-luxelotus_

3.
‘That getting married at 19 is an extremely bad idea.’
-weird-oh

4.
‘That the death of a grandparent counted as “extenuating circumstances” to withdraw from a class past the withdrawal date.

I spent years repairing my GPA.’
-No_Zucchini6668

5.
‘Financial management. I wish I’d learned it sooner, especially how to save money and invest.’
-TrueHeartedQueenV

6.
‘I wish I listened to my grandma about the importance of stretching daily and wearing ear plugs when needed.’
-heyyoriky

7.
‘Bitcoin is going to 100k.’
-WesleyBatesl45

8.
‘Study, because when you learn to learn – it’s actually kind of fun. Don’t be afraid to be wrong. Stop being scared of debates. Don’t stop respecting and accepting people. No one will value it but you, but it will keep your heart peaceful.’
-Not_Xena

9.
‘Heroin is not going to make your life better, quite the contrary.’
-peanut2069