Here are a few pieces of advice I wish someone had passed down to me.

High school can be a battle thats tough to survive.

Once you graduate, youre left staring back blankly at one of the first major accomplishments in your life.

Nows the time when teachers tell you to go for your dream college.

Parents are push you toward a medical degree.

Friends are urge you to get stoned and tour Europe.

I remember spending the summer after graduation stressed, frustrated, and confused.

But going to college immediately after high school isnt for everyone.

In my experience, thats not true.

Likewise, its reasonable that collegeor even just a four year collegeisnt for you.

you oughta do something, but that something neednt be college.

I wish someone had told me that its okay to chill out and wait before starting college.

It would have been fine, and I would have wasted less time in school.

I chose graphic design.

I did that for a couple of years before moving over to creative writing.

I graduated seven years later with 40 more credits than I needed and a pretty solid case of burnout.

You dont have to know what you want to major in.

You dont need to pick it right away.

You certainly dont need to worry that much about it.

Gone are those days of standing behind the counter at Dairy Queen or washing dishes at the pizza restaurant.

But many of us continued those menial jobs well after high school and throughout college.

And no matter how stupid and pointless those jobs are, theyre worth doing well.

Even the crappiest job fosters friendships and partnerships.

I can guarantee that if Id been a lazy employee, those friendships would not have endured.

Its worth doing well, and you might be surprised at what you learn.

For the most part, Ive been OK with this.

Its all too easy to let each other drift apart.

Id argue that its more important to forge new friendships now that youre away from high school.

So, like most thingsits about figuring out whats right for you.

I wish someone had just told me that its acceptable to cut those old ties and make new friendships.

Most importantly, ask questions

After graduating high school I thought I was a pretty smart guy.

Pretension is a dangerous thing.

Between the ages of 18 and 20, I didnt ask questions.

I went through life thinking I knew how the world worked.

I didnt ask questions in school.

I didnt ask questions at work.

I didnt ask girlfriends the questions a boyfriend should ask.

I didnt ask friends questions about things they knew more about than me.

Looking back on those years, Im not sure why I acted this way.

Now I know a healthy curiosity is one of the best signs of intelligence.

The more questions you ask, the more intelligent you become.

Ask questions about how things work.

Ask why they work.

Ask why they dont work.

Ask where things come from.

Just ask as many questions as it’s possible for you to about everything.

Its simple math, but as a cocky, know-it-all asshole of a kid, I couldnt see it.

I wish I had.

Youre going to make a ton of mistakes as a teenager, in your 20s, and beyond.

The essay was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2023.