If you could go back in time and have a little chat with your 18-year-old self, what advice would you give?

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2000

Answers

Be more assertive, make more friends

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

Study harder!!!! Don't get involved--just have fun dating....Don't drive drunk!!!!!!

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

I would tell myself that I have the rest of my life to work and I don't need to do it now. I would tell myself to spend more time getting to know people, and enjoying my youth. I would tell myself to attend more school activities, join more clubs, and worry less about grades. Finally, I would tell myself that life to for enjoying, not hiding from.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

I would have told my 18-year-old self, to have gotten to know some of you better. There were many who I knew and many I knew of. I wished I hold told myself that its okay to not be popular, that the cliques of our schooldays would fade. I would have told myself to enjoy my days while in school because you would never have that aspect of your life again. I would have told myself to make sure that I attended my 20-year reunion!!!

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

(Nicely said, Mike!) Be more accepting of other people. Be more comfortable with myself. Understand that it's okay to make mistakes.. just learn from them and not repeat them. Go to the 25th Reunion, if you missed number 20.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

First thing I would tell my 18 year old self: Get your braces off before getting your senior picture.

Then I would say: Don't take everything quite so seriously. You don't have to be studying, swimming, and doing extracurriculars 24 hours a day. Sleep more. Get to know your teachers better (not just Mr. Sampselle.) Really savor the time with your friends now because once you're out of college, you'll miss that familiarity that comes with seeing your best friends every day in class or hanging out at the local mcdonald's.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Hi everyone! I would tell my 18 year old self to enjoy your body, it will never look like this again! I would tell my 18 year old self to take academics more seriously, not to take so many stupid risks with drugs and to lose the older boyfriend and spend more time with your high school buds!

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

I would tell myself not to listen to peer pressure. I would tell Brenda to Enjoy!

-- Anonymous, November 30, 2000

Oh, how I SO agree with Brenda's comment about ditching the older boyfriend and spending more time in the 'high school experience' with your friends. By junior year, I had quit all of my competitive sports teams (sports I had trained so many years for) and wasn't really doing high school stuff, all because of that "older" boyfriend - ugh, what a huge regret... During each of the HS years, enjoy your childhood freedom, your friends, parties, athletics, and somehow maintain a 'B' average in school. Come out of HS well rounded and you will go far in life =)

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000