THINGS I'D TELL MY YOUNGER SELF

Me aged 5, 16 and 22

Be open to new adventures 

You're scared of being away from home, of going to university and starting a new life away from the comfort of your parents. You're going to cry when you move to Southampton. You're going to sit in KFC on move in day and cry to your parents, begging them to bring you back to London so you can go to Queen Mary's instead. But they won't let you leave and it will be the best thing they ever did for you. 


You don't need to plan everything

Not everything you do needs a time/date/place. Sometimes it's the spontaneous days out that you love the most. Waking up, texting a friend and just jumping on the tube to see where you end up. You'll love those unplanned nights out, the much needed catch ups and spontaneous get togethers. So stop planning everything; you'll have more fun that way.

It's not all about academia 

You enjoy learning but sometimes you forget there's a life outside of secondary school and sixth form. GCSEs and A-Levels are important, of course, but don't forget to live a little for yourself. Stop spending every weekend at the computer, staring at your Politics homework that you hate so much. Enjoy the sunshine, soak up the vitamin D and see your friends. 

Don't be stubborn - ask for help when you're struggling

Maths is bloody hard, you're going to always struggle with it but you should really ask for help now. You're going to scrape a C at GCSE but you know you could have done better if you just asked for help. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. 

Stop stressing about the way you look

You have acne, braces and a bad haircut. It's hard now but it will get better. You'll have braces for two years (but everyone else you know will also have to wear them), you'll experiment with your hair and lose the full length fringe you've had since you were 3, and the spots will go...only to come back when you're an adult. You'll gain much more confidence as soon as you get to university, just wait and see. 

Don't underestimate yourself

So, you're worried you won't pass your GCSEs, A-Levels and get to university. Teachers put you in the average pile and don't bother letting you study Critical Thinking or consider you for Oxbridge. You know what? You prove them wrong and get the second best grades in your year. Teachers you've never spoken to will congratulate you on your A-Level results day and it will feel AMAZING. 

Adults don't have it all figured out, and you won't either 

Being an adult isn't all sunshine and roses. Maybe life was a lot simpler back then, but you won't change the hangovers, the heartbreaks or the adventures for anything.