NationStates Jolt Archive

If you could relive your life, what would you do differently? What advice could you give me and other kids my age?

I definately wouldn't go to Home School during my High School years. This has absolutely destroyed my social life.

I've not met 10 people in the last 7 years. I've actually met... about 5. Two of them might remember me.

My dad doesn't allow me to go to the movies by myself, even though it's not even a mile down the street, and crime is virtually unknown here.


What would I do differently? I'd do whatever I could to prevent this shit from happening.

Depends how old you are. In general-stay in school put forth the effort necessary. I always clowned around and now I regret it. Do not join the Armed Forces, unless you absolutely understand what you're getting yourself into. Try to get a college degree and find something you enjoy to do. But don't be afraid not to go to college immediately, it takes time sometimes to figure out what you want to do.

do my homework in 9th grade

Originally posted by Potaria
I definately wouldn't go to Home School during my High School years. This has absolutely destroyed my social life.

I've only begun homeschooling recently. So I've gone to public school for 10 years, and I will finish my last 2 years of high school being homeschooled. I'm not homeschooled because my mom wants me to be, I'm homeschooled because it was the only option left.

If you could relive your life, what would you do differently? What advice could you give me and other kids my age?


Knowing what I know now.. I would've done almost everything different. Depresses me to even start thinking of what I could've done and what a difference it would have made. Plus its a waste of mental energy... whats done is done.

But here's a few things I would've done differently..

Took school more seriously
Stayed clear of smoking cigerettes
Not dated the guys I did
Not drank nearly as much

I've only begun homeschooling recently. So I've gone to public school for 10 years, and I will finish my last 2 years of high school being homeschooled. I'm not homeschooled because my mom wants me to be, I'm homeschooled because it was the only option left.


I entered Home School in the 4th Grade. I did want to, because I was having nothing but problems at school. Teachers liked to pick on me, kids were being assholes, that sort of thing.

But I started getting bored with it when High School was coming up. I asked my Dad if I could go to Public for all of High School, and he threw a fit (I kid you not. he's really unstable). For some reason he thought that I wouldn't be able to handle anything on my own (he never let me handle anything on my own, so I never got the chance to prove myself). He thought that I hadn't grown up since 3rd Grade (he still doesn't seem to think I have, but under his skin he seems to be really jealous of me). I asked him just a few months ago if I could go back for my Senior year, and he said "maybe".

At least a "maybe" means something. There's almost 4,000 kids in my school. That's 3,995 more people than I've met in seven years. I think it'd be a very welcome change.

Write down the phone number of my best friend when he moved for one. ... well i wrote it down, but lost it.

That and my pressure my father more to move to Israel after High School

Or even better yet, never have asked to move from Israel in the first place.

Just my two pence, take it or leave it:

Don't work for your money. Invest while you're young, and make your money work for you.

Don't take musicians too seriously, or mistake them for being role models.

In the new economy, if you know how to learn on your own, skip college and bullshit loans and go into business for yourself. Most of your friends who'll go to school won't have jobs you'll envy, in the least.

Drugs are fine, if you can use them in moderation, and never drive while under the influence.

Often, those that seem the least interesting in crowds turn out to be the most fun.

There's no such thing as "love at first sight" or "eternal love". Instead, find someone that makes you happy, and know when to throw in the towel.

I'd have taken up piano earlier in life.

Just my two pence, take it or leave it:

Don't work for your money. Invest while you're young, and make your money work for you.

Don't take musicians too seriously, or mistake them for being role models.

In the new economy, if you know how to learn on your own, skip college and bullshit loans and go into business for yourself. Most of your friends who'll go to school won't have jobs you'll envy, in the least.

Drugs are fine, if you can use them in moderation, and never drive while under the influence.

Often, those that seem the least interesting in crowds turn out to be the most fun.

There's no such thing as "love at first sight" or "eternal love". Instead, find someone that makes you happy, and know when to throw in the towel.

The best you can garner from this is:

Unless you want an academic career, get a degree in either law or medicine, not in business. If you have the knack for business you wont need a degree.

Make music

The best you can garner from this is:

Unless you want an academic career, get a degree in either law or medicine, not in business. If you have the knack for business you wont need a degree.
Exactly. (But you should've snipped everything else I said.)

Never think of yourself as indestructible. You need to take care of yourself, starting when you're young, because eventually, it WILL catch up with you and you will wish you were healthier.

Don't take life too seriously, but learn what is important to take seriously. If you don't take time to have fun, you forget how to laugh. But goofing off on the big stuff will haunt you later in life.

No one can make you happy. You have to decide that you want to be happy and work at it. When you are happy with yourself, you will attract others who are happy. Don't spend too much time with negative people. It will bring you down. If it is someone you care about, don't cut them out of your life, but limit the time you spend with them.

Things don't matter - people do. Do something nice for someone else whenever you can, and never let possessions come between you and a good friend.

Love your family and appreciate them for what they are. Someday they will be gone and you will miss them, but don't make the mistake of trying to change them or wish they were different.

Most everything from junior secondary on...

If you could relive your life, what would you do differently? What advice could you give me and other kids my age?
Save more money regardless of how it seemed to hurt at the time.

Try to be less distracted by the female of the species.

Buy less and settle for used until I could afford to pay cash.

Spend more time with my children even if I had to accept a lower standard of living.

Pay closer attention to what was going on with my wife and my marriage.

Start loving animals more at an earlier age.

Spend less time worring about religion and more time volunteering my services for those who needed them.

Begin using the goal-setting process at a much earlier age.

Force myself to write more, sooner.

Begin physical conditioning at a much earlier age.

Spend more time in wilderness areas.

Take fewer unnecessary risks.

Learn more at an earlier age about a very wide variety of subjects: more science, more foreign languages, more ( ugh ) math, Eastern meditation techniques, martial arts disciplines, etc., etc.

Some of the above will vary based on the individal, but I have recommended many of these to my children, some of whom have listened and understood.

If I could relive my life, the most important thing would be to NOT have sex with anyone til I'd known them at least six months and done loads of things with them, fun and chores type stuff.

Sounds really boring-old-fart stuff I guess, but the heartaches I'd have saved myself .... (not to mention the herpes; thanks whoever THAT was! :sniper: ) ... if I'd been less naive and not sh****ed my way round Scotland in my mis-spent youth ...

oh, and always remember that what goes around really does come around: my Dad once said something to me that I really appreciate the worth of now: before you pass along gossip about someone ask yourself these questions, is it true? is it kind? is it necessary? And if the answer's no to any of 'em don't say it!

Hope you have a good life - in every sense of the word - :fluffle:

That is really good advice, Eutrusca.

If you could relive your life, what would you do differently? What advice could you give me and other kids my age?Honestly, if I had the choice of reliving my life or just going on with the one I've got, I'd choose the latter. For the most part I've been happy with my life and how things have turned out. However, there are couple of things I wished I had done differently...
- actually taken my AP Physics class seriously. I really understood everything the first quarter, when we had to do homework and tests that were graded, but that was just to weed out students. After everyone who was doing miserably dropped out, the teacher stopped grading us - we still got homework, but it was self-checked, and our grades were based on how much effort our teacher thought we were putting into the class. So I did an absolutely wonderful job of looking like I was working hard, but in fact I wasn't doing a damn thing and in the end, I didn't take the AP test because I was too intimidated. It would have been nice to have that credit out of the way for college.
- kept in better touch with my best friend from high school... she started having problems, but I felt like the relationship was getting one-sided and I got really frustrated and hurt... but now I'm wondering how she's doing, and I'm missing her a lot. I left a message on her machine yesterday (after almost a year of not communicating with her in any way), but haven't heard back from her yet. Who knows, maybe she's just out of town right now.

So my advice? Work hard, for yourself, not just for grades. Yeah, you may be able to slide by on natural talent alone, but you'll succeed more if you actually push yourself. And if you're having troubles with someone, let that person know (in a constructive way) - don't just blow him/her off.

There's a lot of things but...

I wouldn't be homeschooled for high school... its just not worth it! What you lose in social life is not made up for by the education. Primary school is different... as long as your parents make sure that they foster your social life, such as playing sports, then it is ok, and possibly better. But I regret only have a couple of friends left from before I came to uni.

That is really good advice, Eutrusca.
Thank you. And trust me when I say that it's really hard won insight too. :)

My pictures are in Eutrusca.

Homeschooling is NOT a choice of mine or my mom's. I do realize I am missing out on a social life right now. That's why I post so much on NS. I am happy with that choice though otherwise I wouldn't be able to graduate from high school.

There's a lot of things but...

I wouldn't be homeschooled for high school... its just not worth it! What you lose in social life is not made up for by the education. Primary school is different... as long as your parents make sure that they foster your social life, such as playing sports, then it is ok, and possibly better. But I regret only have a couple of friends left from before I came to uni.


Wanna know how it is to lose a Social life? I'd really like to get in-depth about it, but it might disturb some people here. Let's just say that living in the same house with two people you slowly begin to despise over a period of seven years isn't exactly peachy. Oh, and the fact that you haven't met more than five people in the past seven years is also saddening.

Homeschooling is NOT a choice of mine or my mom's. I do realize I am missing out on a social life right now. That's why I post so much on NS. I am happy with that choice though otherwise I wouldn't be able to graduate from high school.
if you don't mind me asking, Why?

If I could relive my life, the most important thing would be to NOT have sex with anyone til I'd known them at least six months and done loads of things with them, fun and chores type stuff.

Sounds really boring-old-fart stuff I guess, but the heartaches I'd have saved myself .... (not to mention the herpes; thanks whoever THAT was! :sniper: ) ... if I'd been less naive and not sh****ed my way round Scotland in my mis-spent youth ...

oh, and always remember that what goes around really does come around: my Dad once said something to me that I really appreciate the worth of now: before you pass along gossip about someone ask yourself these questions, is it true? is it kind? is it necessary? And if the answer's no to any of 'em don't say it!

Hope you have a good life - in every sense of the word - :fluffle:


Lmao

My advice:

1] Don't take time off between high school and college. Just go to college ASAP.
2] Don't even think about having kids until 25.
3] Don't get a credit card, no matter tempting those offers seem.
4] On your 18th birthday, open a savings account with $1,000.00. Save no less than an additional $1000.00 per year until you're 60. Do not touch this money, no matter what. You'll be glad for it. You can save $1,000.00 a year even on minimum wage.
5] Don't ever assume you're getting "too old for that" ... no matter what "that" may be.
6] Write. Even if you never intend to publish it, write. Write write write. Everything you can think of. Every though, every experience - even if it's embarrasing. Write about it. Someday your kids/grandkids will be interested in it.
7] Don't force yourself to decide what you want to be when you grow up until you're 35.
8] Have as much fun as possible - but still graduate college.
9] Learn that you don't have to say "fuck the establishment" when you can actually live it instead.
10] Learn a musical instrument.

That's it for now.

Oh ... and I wouldn't relive my life. I already follow my own advice. :D

If I could go back and change things, if did anything at all I would:
Worked a lot harder in high school
Don’t pay attention to all the adolescent rubbish that seems so important at the time like parties, being popular, chasing girls, and drugs... well maybe chasing girls can stay.
Work toward getting scholarships a lot more. College is too much fun to waste the whole time working.
Work harder in college and really chase those dreams.
Travel more while I'm young (I still am) see some place besides America ASAP it really changes everything (no, sorry, Cancun doesn’t count) Go to Italy, England or France.
Really listen to ones you love, and I mean really listen, you wouldn't want to loose something as wonderful as love over poor communication, or stubbornness. But it’s so easy to do especially when we are young.
And spent more time with the ones you love because someday they'll be gone and you know what there is no going back and changing yesterday.

I wouldn't change anything, because i believe that everything that has happened in my life has made me who i am and led me to this moment. I believe in fate and destiny, and i think my life has gone exactly as it was supposed to.

If you could relive your life, what would you do differently? What advice could you give me and other kids my age?

Get organized in school sooner to get through the 10th grade on the first try, and not drop out.

But that was only a few years ago, so I have plenty of time to fix it.

For most of my life, everything within my control has worked out pretty great. So.. Not a lot to change.

9] Learn that you don't have to say "fuck the establishment" when you can actually live it instead.
:p

My pictures are in Eutrusca.
Oooo! Can I see? Can I see? :D

Originally posted by Nation of Fortune
if you don't mind me asking, Why?

I couldn't stay in public school anymore because of absences. Even though I had medical excuses, my teachers wouldn't do anything to help my situation. So I ended up losing enough credits to prevent me from graduation.

My medical situation:

1)allergies (plants, flowers, trees, animals, perfume, Compazine, allergy shots, dust, and mold) I also have contact dermitis which means if I come into contact with certain things in a certain way I will react. For instance, I cannot wash my face without showering, from this I react. I cannot use shaving cream. I can cuddle with my cats without breaking out but if a single cat hair falls on me, I do.

2)asthma (I have been put one Prednisone 3 times this year. From the Prednisone, I have gained over 50 pounds in 5 months.) It is triggered by sickness and allergies.

3)immune deficiency(My doctors are unsure if I have a direct condition of my immune system, but we're looking into it. My doctor told me, "Your immune system is shot." His exact words.)

4)chronic fatigue and insomnia(I have both. I've had it for 3/4 years now. It is now finally being evaluated. My doctors used to tell me it was because of mono I had a summer ago which lasted for 8 months.)

5)chornic migraines(I have at lead as migraine everyday. They cause me to throw up and shake.)

6) I am prediabetic. My dad and his dad have it. I have been tested for it over and over again with no sign. So they believe I will get it at some point. Some of my warning signs are poor circulation in my feet and shaking.)

I also ended up in the ER 2 times last year, and I currently go to the doctor 2 a week.

I don't think I'd do anything differently, except play high school sports. I was too introverted to try out for any of the teams. I regret that now.

May I can offer some advice from 37 years of experience?

- Dance like nobody's watching, sing like nobody's listening, live like nobody's judging.

- Almost everyone is too busy worrying about their own image to worry about yours.

- Try new experiences. They'll make wonderful memories someday.

- Walk your own path. Don't follow in you parent's footsteps, or your hero's footsteps, or in my footsteps. Live the life you want to live, not the life you think others expect you to live.

- Don't cling too tight to the things you believe in. I'm not saying don't stand up for what you feel is right - by all means do that. But every few years you're going to find 90% of what you believe is a bunch of bull. So you'll reject it and replace it with something better, only to learn in a few years it's 90% bull, too. It started with Santa and the Tooth Fairy, but it doesn't end there. Be prepared for it when it comes. And keep an open mind so you'll recognize it when it appears.

- Save in advance for the things you want to buy. A car that costs $20,000 is easier to buy if you save the money in advance and let it earn interest for you. If you buy it on credit then the interest is working against you. A $1000 junkmobile will do just fine while you're saving up.

- Be positive. Give compliments often. Be the kind of mentor you wish you had when you were a child. Stop for hitch hikers and fund raising car washes. Helping others is like washing dishes. It cleans your own hands without you even realizing it.

- Be affectionate. Let the people you love know you love them, and I'm not just talking about your family or your girlfriend. Let your classmates and co-workers and neighbors know, too. Its amazing how much of our affection goes unexpressed. Make someone's day - tell them you love them!

- Avoid gossips. If someone is gossiping to you about their friends/family/co-workers, what do you think they're saying to their friends/family/coworkers about you?

- Remember that none of us sees reality. Everything we see is interprited by our preconceptions, our values, and our past esperiences. The great thing is we each have a degree of control over our filters. So paint your glasses a nice rosy color. Avoid grey.

- Find something you love doing, then find someone willing to pay you for doing it. Yes, it's that easy. Love computer games? Become a professional beta tester. Love hiking? Get a grant to write a trail guide to the National parks. Love deep sea fishing? Buy a used boat, put a fresh coat of paint on it, and hire yourself out as a fishing guide. Please don't settle for a boring desk job you hate just because it pays the bills. We have too many of those people already.

- Take care of your health. The reason most people don't stick with exercize programs is they don't like the exercizes. I wouldn't want to jog on a treadmill if there's a 3 on 3 basketball game going on down the street. Find a fun way to get exercize. You burn a lot of calories during a 20 minute pillow fight every other night. Who cares if it's not conventional as long as it's not boring?

If you could relive your life, what would you do differently? What advice could you give me and other kids my age?

I'd have found a way to finish my PHD without joining the Army first. Or, just finished the darned thing at all instead of stopping when almost there. :headbang:

Instead of doing a hitch enlisted and then becoming an officer, I'd have gone in as an officer. :cool:

Ducked better in 1991. :(

Married my college sweetheart and told her mother to stuff the religous harping that ended our relationship. (Yes, I was stupid enough to break up with a young woman because I didn't like her mother.) :eek:

Played more often. ;)

there is not a thing in my life that i would change...sure i have had bad shit happen to me, but who hasn't?...if i was given thee opportunity to change things...i wouldn't do it cause that would mean i have regrets about aspects of my life and i have none...everything that has happened to me has made me who i am today and i wouldn't want to change that person...all i can say to the person who started this...live life...worry not about regrets or what could have happened...just be......

The problem is that I enjoy most of my regrets. They give me stories to tell.

If I had to give out some advice based on experience, it'd be these:

Manure pits never freeze over enough to support human weight.
Urinating on an electric fence is never a good idea.
Never eat anything for money.
Never ride a bike at night without a headlight.
They are watching you.

That's about it.

The problem is that I enjoy most of my regrets. They give me stories to tell.

If I had to give out some advice based on experience, it'd be these:

Manure pits never freeze over enough to support human weight.
Urinating on an electric fence is never a good idea.
Never eat anything for money.
Never ride a bike at night without a headlight.
They are watching you.

That's about it.
The first one: EWWWWWWW

the second one: I payed a vegitarian friend to eat a hunk of meat, just a plain huunk of meat. Although I may seem stupid, there is much more to the story than I care to explain here.

I couldn't stay in public school anymore because of absences. Even though I had medical excuses, my teachers wouldn't do anything to help my situation. So I ended up losing enough credits to prevent me from graduation.

My medical situation:

1)allergies (plants, flowers, trees, animals, perfume, Compazine, allergy shots, dust, and mold) I also have contact dermitis which means if I come into contact with certain things in a certain way I will react. For instance, I cannot wash my face without showering, from this I react. I cannot use shaving cream. I can cuddle with my cats without breaking out but if a single cat hair falls on me, I do.

2)asthma (I have been put one Prednisone 3 times this year. From the Prednisone, I have gained over 50 pounds in 5 months.) It is triggered by sickness and allergies.

3)immune deficiency(My doctors are unsure if I have a direct condition of my immune system, but we're looking into it. My doctor told me, "Your immune system is shot." His exact words.)

4)chronic fatigue and insomnia(I have both. I've had it for 3/4 years now. It is now finally being evaluated. My doctors used to tell me it was because of mono I had a summer ago which lasted for 8 months.)

5)chornic migraines(I have at lead as migraine everyday. They cause me to throw up and shake.)

6) I am prediabetic. My dad and his dad have it. I have been tested for it over and over again with no sign. So they believe I will get it at some point. Some of my warning signs are poor circulation in my feet and shaking.)

I also ended up in the ER 2 times last year, and I currently go to the doctor 2 times a week

Most of my life was pretty good, except for those people that grade your tests :mad: , and a retarded misfit that thinks i'm his friend. :sniper:

If you could relive your life, what would you do differently? What advice could you give me and other kids my age?

I would change every thing I did agex 10-19 except what I did with my family, vacations and stuff.
Pick your friends well! Study harder! Live life! Don't get your self into alot of stress! Think about what ever it is you want to do before you do it, from all points so not to do something stupid!

If I could relieve my life again:
Not to get addicted to chocolate;
Take up exercising and sports earlier (I didn't start until I was at Uni);
Tell my parents to invest the money they inherited when Grandad died in 1983 in Microsoft shares;
Read more;
Learn a musical instrument (if for nothing else, women dig guys who can play);
Learn another language;
Go overseas earlier;
Decide what I wanted to do with my life a lot earlier so I could enjoy my twenties more than I did.

Urinating on an electric fence is never a good idea.

I saw someone do that once. It was frigging hilarious! Not for them obviously.

Another one you should have added: Never mix Chivas Regal with Home brew beer and cheap red wine. That's a cocktail that just doesn't work.
I still remember my Dad coming out to where I was lying on the grass, poking me with a stick and telling me to come inside as I was lowering the house prices.

I would only change two things.

1. Actually have gone to the lectures so I didn't get kicked out of university.

2. Asked out that certain girl.

Otherwise, look after your family & friends and enjoy your life.

" Urinating on an electric fence is never a good idea. "

MythBuster's tested that out once using high voltage and a dummy.

" Urinating on an electric fence is never a good idea. "

MythBuster's tested that out once using high voltage and a dummy.

What was the result? Myth or no myth?

Since I'm only in Uni, I think it would be to have studied harder. Or asked more questions.

Now that I'm in Uni, I have a problem coping because I didn't have a strong foundation to begin with. And couldn't go to the uni I wanted.

I'd generally act like less of a prick, not get fat in primary school, and actually work for my GCSEs.

not get fat in secondary school, keep up my swimming and sailing and work harder at school. and not do economics last year at uni - waste of time

I couldn't stay in public school anymore because of absences. Even though I had medical excuses, my teachers wouldn't do anything to help my situation. So I ended up losing enough credits to prevent me from graduation.

My medical situation:

1)allergies (plants, flowers, trees, animals, perfume, Compazine, allergy shots, dust, and mold) I also have contact dermitis which means if I come into contact with certain things in a certain way I will react. For instance, I cannot wash my face without showering, from this I react. I cannot use shaving cream. I can cuddle with my cats without breaking out but if a single cat hair falls on me, I do.

2)asthma (I have been put one Prednisone 3 times this year. From the Prednisone, I have gained over 50 pounds in 5 months.) It is triggered by sickness and allergies.

3)immune deficiency(My doctors are unsure if I have a direct condition of my immune system, but we're looking into it. My doctor told me, "Your immune system is shot." His exact words.)

4)chronic fatigue and insomnia(I have both. I've had it for 3/4 years now. It is now finally being evaluated. My doctors used to tell me it was because of mono I had a summer ago which lasted for 8 months.)

5)chornic migraines(I have at lead as migraine everyday. They cause me to throw up and shake.)

6) I am prediabetic. My dad and his dad have it. I have been tested for it over and over again with no sign. So they believe I will get it at some point. Some of my warning signs are poor circulation in my feet and shaking.)

I also ended up in the ER 2 times last year, and I currently go to the doctor 2 times a week

Man that really bites. My only advice to you, exercise. Even though it may hurt like hell. Even though you maybe told not to. Even though you may get sicker at first. I too have asthma and I've notcied that while it may kill me while I'm running, that it gets better in the long run if I force myself onward. There also seems to be a large correlaton between exercise and the immune system. During the last long period in which I exercised, the worst I got was a bad cold. Now its seems that I get influenza at least twice a year. THe only reason I stopped was that I had to ficus more on my collegate studies. Its paid off too, 4.0 GPA. As soon as I get my own place and get out of the dorm, I'm gonna run my ass off. Good luck, Babe, and if it helps, I 'm praying for you. :fluffle:

I would have tried to stay in better shape, I wasn't into sports or anything physical when I was younger and now I am paying for it, I'm 19 now and trying to get into better shape, so just stay in shape when you are younger. (join a sports team or even just be active)

And I would have tried to be less shy when I was younger too, now I'm 19 and I've just built up my confidence in social situations, so get out there and meet new and exciting people.

I would have also went to school dances in high school and parties that people had at their house, now I'm 19 and just learning how to dance, so I look like a moron on the dance floor.

I would have also tried to get more involved with chicks when I was in High School, I was afraid of asking them out cause I had a fear of rejection, so don't be afraid of getting turned down, ask people you like out, you might get turned down by 2 or 3 people, but eventually one will say yes. Just remember, in High school, mostly everyone is all like oh my god, he asked me out, so if you ask someone out and they say no, you might think it will be all over the school, but it doesn't matter, no one really gives a shit about it when you are older.

I would have also cared less about what people thought and just have fun, I learned something valuable this year, the only person who cares what you look like and how you act, is you, so don't worry about what other people think about you, just do what feels good and have a good time doing it.

I would have tried pot at a younger age, now I started it at a bit older age and I am acting all dumb cause of it, I know people will probably flame me for this, but smoke pot and drink booze when you are young, go to peoples parties and do that stuff, it will help get it out of your system when you are older so you can focus on your career.