So here I am, 17 years old, and ready to take on the world. All of you who have experienced more than I, what would be one thing you could say? In other words, if you could bequeath unto someone one great piece of knowledge, wisdom, or experience, what would that be?
If you can’t lead by example, at least you can still be a horrible warning.
Be a person of integrity, always, no matter the cost.
Odds are that you will survive to old age.
Plan accordingly.
Trust me about the sunscreen.
-Never regret making the best decision you could make, based on the information you had at the time.
-Try to do your best to piss off no one. If you have to, make sure they know the reason why. The fewer people you piss off, the fewer enemies you make, and you’ll never know when that one guy you pissed off ends up being someone who coulda REALLY helped you.
-Leave a lot of space ahead of ya in traffic. And don’t sweat the folks that jump in that space…just slow down a little bit more. You’ll still get there, you’ll be much less stressed, and your car will last longer. Commuting ain’t a race, it’s a practice in Zen.
Don’t ever see Cube. Trust me on this one.
Yeah, I’m pretty bitter about this one.
Although I didn’t really “believe” it at the time, those “crises” that occur at the age of 17-18 REALLY ARE NOT THE END OF THE WORLD! I’m only 21 now, but MAN was I short-sighted. There is always a furture, and no reason to think it can’t improve if you feel like the present is doing its best to make you miserable. Set yourself some long-term goals, but be prepared to change them at a whim if something new/better comes along. Take risks, but don’t be stupid about them. Alcohol can be enjoyed, and its even ok to get drunk sometimes, but don’t let it become your life, and don’t define your friends by whether they can party with you or not. Become friends with your elders. Become friends with your mother, father, aunts, uncles, even teachers and bosses. They have a wealth of information to share with you.
Oh, wait, you said one thing…sorry! Got carried away 
Most people are good, most of the time. Try not to be cynical about people you don’t fully understand. Kindness and good deeds are everywhere.
But heck, what do I know?
- Respect authority.
You don’t always have to agree with it. You don’t always have to like it. And sometimes, it’s okay to rebel. But more often than not, really, doing what your parents/superiors ask or tell you to do is okay.
- Practice safe sex.
I know you’ve been hearing this one all of your life, and you’re probably tired of it. But do it anyway.
- Pay your bills.
Waking up in the morning wondering what’s going to be shut off next sucks. Waking up in the morning with something already shut off sucks even worse.
- Read books.
The internet is a remarkable thing, no doubt about it. But books are awesome. Curling up with a hot drink and a good book…aaaaaaahhhhhhh. Oh yeah.
- Don’t wash your whites and your blue jeans together. And if possible, wash your reds in a separate county.
Just trust me on that one.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life. … And it may the last day of this life. … In either case, live it to the fullest.
And smell the roses.
First, do what Narrad said.
Second, always listen to Manda JO. Always.
Third, don’t get yourself into credit card debt. It will fuck up your whole life. Notwithstanding, of course, the above advice.
If you can, get a job as a server in a restaurant. You’ll learn a lot about dealing with people.
coast through the intersection with your foot on the brake
1- Always honor your word… a man (or woman) without honor is scarcely a man at all.
2- stay out of other peoples’ conflicts… it’s very easy to get mixed up in things that do not concern you while trying to help. (I’m still practicing this skill… I’m currently up to a skill level of “half assed”… I still get involved, but I remember to walk away, eventually)
3- when in a pool hall, NEVER play a guy that uses a house cue but carries his own chalk, talc, or glove (typically this person will be something of a hustler, they use house cues to get people to make bets, but have a game that is something to be feared, you might have a chance of winning the first game because they’re trying to run up the bet, leave after the first game)… and always play the guy that has 100% new gear, (s)he can’t buy a game, so have fun (this only applies if frequent pool halls and play a LOT)
4- do not start smoking… I made that mistake at the age of 18… I’ve quit a few times, and I keep going back like the junky that I am… and at my ripe old age of 25, I’m really starting to notice the damage smoking is doing to my stamina (I’m not talking about running marathons, more like daily duties… ugh, I need to quit again, hopefully for good this time)
5- you’re 17… hit the gym like there’s no tomorow… you’re at a prime time to define your body type… I lifted a lot in highschool, and haven’t really done any physical working out in 6 years, but those few years of lifting helped my body develop into a shape that still looks respectable (decent shoulders, arms have some form, I taper to my waist, etc)… it’s not like I’m maintaining my body structure, but my formative years made it what it is now with very little maintanence.
6- have a hell of a lot of fun… college should be coming up soon… try lots of stuff that you would never want to talk to your mom/dad about… but don’t be stupid, wear a condom (or instruct your partner to), avoid hard drugs, avoid physical fights (welcome to adulthood, you or your opponent could fairly easily do some serious damage… it’s not the school yard anymore)
7- always inspect apartments with a camera in hand… you don’t want a landlord to stick you with repair bills for problems that existed when you moved in (bonus points for a camera that imprints the date, and a signed note from the landlord that refers to the pictures)
8- never buy a pet unless you’re ready to be a parent for the expected life of that pet.
9- alcohol does not help in the decision making process… never make promises or offers after having so much as one sip of a drink. You don’t want to be bound to helping someone move on the same day that you have a big exam/deadline, you’re either going to piss off a friend or screw up a deadline/test
10- read every book you buy. (unless it totally sucks… then you should give it to someone less intelligent, they might enjoy it)
11- don’t marry the frist person you sleep with… I didn’t make that mistake, I’m much happier with my perfect wife than I would have been if I hadn’t followed rule 11
12- don’t fall into the trap of the Windows ™ world… you’ll be much happier with MacOS/Linux/Solaris/etc… it might seem like a bit more work, but you won’t be dealing with an OS that the manufacturer itself says can’t disclose the because it’s so insecure that releasing the source would be a security risk. (bobo=sysadmin for windows, mac, linux, solaris, and some BSD, plus random flights of fancy)
13- know when you’re rambling… I should have realized this about 7 points ago… so I’ll shut up now… eventually I’ll learn from my own advice.
14- ok, one more… when you’re at a party in college that is so loud you have to lean over to someones’ ear to YELL your answer (just so they can hear you)… then the party is TOO LOUD… the police will probably show up soon, leave ASAP.
there are a lot more pieces of advice I could type out… but, as I said, no rambling… would someone else care to pick up where I left off?
I’m currently lementing the fact that I’m shutting up… I have so many more little tidbits of gibberish/advice to offer… oh well.
just remember… DON’T PANIC, have fun, and good luck.
I just want to add again to stay out of debt. Seriously. I mean it.
Do not ever blow off your taxes. They will come back to haunt you. Well Haunt really isn’t the word but we would have to be in the pit for the correct term.
Realize that you may not know what you are going to do for the rest of your life. (if you do have some chosen profession great) But don’t feel like a total loser when you get to college and when you pick a major and there are tons of people in that major who tell you that they have been preparing to be a such-n-such since they were 3 years old. Many people change jobs during their life. So what you start to be and what you become are probably going to be two different things.
Oh and TURN THAT CRAP DOWN AND GET A HAIRCUT!
(sorry, I was possessed by my dad for a moment)
Sincerity is all-important; if you can fake that, you’ve got it made.
Seriously, though, there is mostly good advice in this thread (except the Mac recommendation above; I’m a diehard PC user, having used both extensively). I would add one thing off the top of my head:
Learn to cook. You will never, ever regret it. You’ll keep yourself from spending a lot of money in restaurants; you’ll impress people (“dinner at my place” is a great second or third date); and you’ll probably enjoy the hell out of it.
Read. Keep exercising. If you go to college, attend the classes.
And remember: a bag of chips and a soda do not a well-rounded meal make.
Never take advice from fools, christians, athiests, liberals, conservatives, libertarians, moderates, “know-it-alls”, drunks, teetotalers, gun nuts, gun banners, young people, old people, or any of us other kooks on the SDMB.
In other words:
THINK FOR YOURSELF!
you’ll be in the minority, but you’ll be better than the majority for doing so.:p;)