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College: You'll probably never have an opportunity like this again. Don't treat college like a vocational school...pursue an education that opens you up as a person, that challenges and excites you, that helps you learn not to be afraid to learn.
Employment: No job is forever, but eight hours a day is a big chunk of your life. And it's not all about the money.
Exercise more and don't eat so much. You'll get fat and have a hell of a time working it off.
I have no regrets about my life so far, it's made me who I am today. However, if I had the opportunity to talk to my past self, I might say a few things.
1) Go to an "inexpensive" public university rather than the expensive private university. Yes, the classes for the degree are somewhat better than the public university, and you'll be given many more opportunities for hands-on experience at the private school, but you will save yourself tens of thousands of dollars that could be put to better use in the future.
2) Work your college job for a few more years so as to save up a larger amount of seed money before launching your business.
3) Learn to be more personable over the phone. Sure, written and in-person communication is great, but you've got to learn how to interact more easily over the phone, because many people will refuse to communicate any other way.
You have one life and dozens of realistic choices. None of those leads to the perpetual Nirvana. No matter what you'd choose, you will be wondering about "what if". In a college study what you like (because it's a waste to study something you don't like), don't pay attention to status anxiety and social pressure. If "women studies" and "basket weaving" excite you, go for it. If making the most money possible excite you more, go for it. Just follow voices inside of you, no matter how "low status" and "low income" those voices might be, if you do that, you'll be content sitting broke & homeless on the side of a road. If you don't follow those voices, no amount of "accomplishments" would make you content. Make friends and good acquaintances when you are young, cherish every semi-meaningful friendship/relationship you have when you are young, because that's the best you will ever get. That's these friends who would help you to live, that's them who would attend your funerals. The older you get, the more conditional relationships (of all kinds) become.
Never stop learning: Rather than waste time watching television or other pointless activities take an hour or two a day to learn new things.
Never settle in at a job you don't like. I stayed in a job for 20 years that paid decently but one I did not enjoy. It was surprising what a relief it was when they closed down.
Stop trying to be a writer. It's pointless. Don't take out student loans. Work your way through school. Don't worry about how long it takes to finish. Take extra math classes. Don't let the fear of not understanding the subject stop you. Get a degree in coding or computers and get yourself in a tech company.
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