5 Pieces of Advice for My Younger Siblings

Start Saving Now

Save for college, save for rent, save for everything. Eighteen years of birthday money isn’t going to fund you into adulthood, but getting into the habit of putting back money in your bank account now will prepare you to be financially responsible in the future. It may not seem like a big deal at the moment, but thriftiness will be one of your most valuable traits later on in life, and you’ll thank yourself someday when your money is so well-managed that you’ll hardly have to worry about it.

Don’t Procrastinate

Procrastination is a bad habit that’s easier to break sooner rather than later. This applies to homework assignments, chores, and deadlines in general. You might still be young enough to think you have all the time in the world, but time travels faster than you expect, and life creeps up on you. Get your responsibilities out of the way as soon as possible so you can thoroughly enjoy the downtime between errands and assignments with a good conscious and a fulfilling sense of productivity.

It’s Never Too Soon to Look for Scholarships

Most people think scholarships are reserved for top-ranking high school students with an extensive list of extracurriculars on their resume, but there’s actually a scholarship out there for almost anyone of any age. Not only can you find scholarships applicable to high school students at any grade level, there are even scholarships for middle schoolers, and, in some cases, kids in elementary school. The sooner you start looking for scholarships, the more likely you’ll be able to get one. Even if you aren’t sure if you want to go to college yet, being prepared just in case is never a bad idea.

Preparing for college by taking school and your classes seriously is another smart idea. It’s not the end of the world if you don't excel at your studies, but if you fail, it will come back to bite you later. School doesn't last forever, so take it seriously while you’re still in it. Getting your degree, even if it’s just from high school, is important and is much easier to do the first time around rather than going back and getting your GED years later.

Relationships Don’t Always Last Forever

This applies to romantic relationships and friendships. It’s perfectly natural for people to change and to move on with their lives, sometimes without you. People grow apart and become interested in different subjects, or move away and fade out of your life. But just because something might not last forever doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cherish it while you have it. Plus, when a door closes, a window opens, and for every friend you’ll lose, you’ll gain another who is just as great.

Don’t Expect Life to be Fair

Things won’t always go your way. You’ll have your setbacks, maybe even at moments where others are doing really well for themselves. You may want to judge yourself based on everyone else around you, but that never works out. Everyone moves at their own pace, and experiences life differently at different times. Just remember, you can’t have the good without the bad. Someday, it will be your time to shine.