LEARN FROM THE (S)AGES: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

“I would probably tell myself to commit and push myself more when doing things that I loved, because I took a lot of special things for granted.” —Isaac Lageschulte, junior

“To really focus on the good times so the bad [times don’t] seem overpowering.” —Amy Gorreja, sophomore

“Try and stop seeking external sources of validation and just be more confident in myself. Also, […] be more grateful for experiences.” ––Sarah Cheyney, senior

“Be more confident, because it doesn't seem to hurt to try different things, and a lot of people are really nice and helpful.” ––Fanny Chu, senior

“Some advice I’d give to my younger self would be to enjoy and focus on my childhood. What I mean by this is that oftentimes as younger kids we find ourselves excited for the future, excited by the freedom of being older. I spent most of my youth studying long hours in middle school and doing extra work in elementary school, rather than just being a kid who goes outside to play with friends or neighbors. Instead of trying to grow up too fast, I would’ve wanted my younger self to know that there truly is so much to do in the different stages of life, and there was no need [to] rush.” —Shyann Rampaul, sophomore

“I highly recommend stopping playing video games, and instead starting studying for extracurricular topics like math or computer science.” —Stanley Tung, sophomore

“I would tell my younger self to take things one step at a time and it is completely okay to fall down as long as I can get back up […] a lot of freshmen, including me, when I was one, are bottled up in that idea of perfectionism, but you have to realize that life isn’t a straight road.” —Allison Lee, junior

“Now that I think of my freshman year, I’d want to tell my younger self to spend more time meeting new people and engaging in more friendships.” —Savana Yeung, junior

“I would tell myself not to overstress, because it’s not worth it. It just makes everything worse.” —Sajia Athai, senior

“Just do it; do whatever you’re thinking of doing. Don’t wait for years like me. [It’s] really not worth the stress. Get it over with.” —Kaitlin Ho, junior

“Making mistakes is alright. What matters is that you don't let it get to your head and make sure to continue on with life and grow.” —Unique Zhang, sophomore

“I would tell my younger self to manage my time more efficiently. For example, by the time I get home, I usually am exhausted and don’t have the energy to work during the day, so I eventually started to do my homework during my frees, as they were later in the day, and it saved me a lot of time.” —Andrew Hur, junior

“Don't underestimate the value of your friends. They can get you through a lot of things, so make sure you treat them well. It's like an investment for later.” —Kaiden Yeung, senior

“Do what you want to do and get good at the things you love.” —Aaron Hsu, senior

“Try not to stress over insignificant things that may seem important at the moment. [Though] there are moments that you feel like might be the end of the world for you, that’s never the case.” —Sasha Shifrina, junior

“It’s not worth it to stress over the small things.” —Aidan Look, senior

“Don’t pick your boogers. Don’t drop the rice bowl. Don’t fall for free Robux scams.” —Gil Zheng, junior

“I would tell my younger self to not beat myself over bad test grades, because test grades don't define who you are, and one bad test grade isn't the end of the world.” —Mahir Riki, junior

“Do the things you want to do, and don’t listen to anyone else when it comes to the things that make you happy.” —Fanny Yin, senior

“Explore new concepts and subjects.” —Anonymous, senior

“I would tell my younger self to live in the moment a little more. Stop stressing about things that happened in the past or may happen in the future—just enjoy life in the present.” —Rainie Sun, sophomore

“Start getting sleep during school days and finish all your work during the day.” —Yarza Aung, sophomore