A letter to my 16 year-old self

Going to uni means leaving home and growing up. For us uni students, there are many decisions we have to make. Stay with your school crush or hope to find your true love strolling through campus? Try new sports and societies or stick with what you already know? Party your three years away or push yourself for that first? There are also many ups and downs to uni life – the downs being when you are financially, emotionally and mentally drained.

Yet, if you think about it, there was a time when the decisions you made seemed equally as important. Life seemed to be just as hard when you were younger. If I could only write one letter which would reach my younger self, it would be back when I was 16. This is what it would say:

Hello younger me,

I know you’re not very good at taking advice from those older than you, but I think that an exception should be made. I’m future you and you need advice… so take it.

You are moody FOR NO REASON. Do you actually realise how much hard work you can be sometimes? But I have a mini cure. If you ever find yourself moody while you are hungry, EAT. You are hangry but you just don’t realise it.

You still fall out with your friends ALL THE TIME. You don’t have to voice all your opinions because you insist you are right. You also don’t need to have a crush on the same guy your mate does. Either way, don’t give up on your friends – they will be there for as long as you want them to be there.

You don’t appreciate what your parents do for you. You know one day you’ll have to wash up your plates everyday? And that’s just the start of it. Can you at least keep your room tidy?

You are in your first long term relationship. It won’t be long before your heart will be broken. But it WILL be okay. Life happens. Just please try to remember that it doesn’t mean you weren’t good enough. Nobody is perfect.

You work really hard at school so you can get good GCSE results. I’m sorry to say but your older brothers were right – GCSE’s don’t really mean much. So if you want to spend any year of your life procrastinating PLEASE choose this year rather than your second year in uni. Spoiler…you make it to uni.

Soon family life will get harder than it’s ever been before. But remember you have your friends. Laughter is the best cure. So keep them extra close. Things will get better eventually. So stop the pity party and try your best to get over it.

Finally, you are different. That isn’t a bad thing – everyone is unique! You should embrace who you are. No, you aren’t meant to have the body of a size 0 model. But yes, spots are normal. If watching Harry Potter on repeat makes you happy, do it! It really really really doesn’t matter what other people think – and the sooner you realise that, the happier you will be.

On that note, good luck with the next few years – you’ll do more than okay, I’m sure of it.