I feel like every year you go through these changes and you learn so much more about what you could have done differently. But I do think that as you get older you think back on things you wish you knew that would’ve made life easier so I’d love to share some :)
- Learning how to study – when I got to pharmacy school I took my first chemistry test and completely bombed. Once I *actually* I learned how to study and take notes. It was completely life changing. I always think “man, if I could have figured this out in high school I could have saved so much on student loans with college scholarships.” Honestly it even carries into other skills in life. I use my study skills to learn Farsi and it helps me so much.
- How to be clean & organized – I’m bringing this back to my parents… Persian culture is all about study study study and at the time I loved it because they didn’t expect me to clean up but now I kind of wish I had developed those skills sooner. When my space is clean and organized it makes me so much calmer and happier. People even joke that cleaning is my new hobby because I just love a clean space
- Side hustle – I wish when I was in college that I had started blogging. When I was in college, blogging was becoming more popular and I always think where could I be now if I had started back then. Some people make so much money that they are able to pay off loans immediately. The thing is to have fun and enjoy it – your side hustle should always be something you love or else you likely won’t be good at it. If you’re not fully invested in your side hustle, then someone who loves it more will always get further because they’ll be willing to put in 20+ hours effortlessly since they love it so much.
- Sunscreen – I WISH I knew not to go in tanning beds. Sunscreen is so important because sun damage is the #1 cause of aging and can lead to skin cancer. I know in your 20s and teens you might not care but it will catch up with you!
- Learning to assertively communicate – If you’re by nature a sweet person, you might beat around the bush or be scared to share your true feelings. I used to say yes to plans even if I had other plans because I felt bad saying no. It’s so much better in business, friendships, etc. to directly (and respectfully) say up front how you feel.
- How to time manage – A really great idea in college is to batch your classes together so you’re not constantly going back and forth to campus. Also – take advantage of your iPhone calendar or Google Calendar, set reminders, and set alarms. I have alarms that remind me to do everything! Whatever it could be… a vitamin, take your face mask off, start getting ready for the night – calendaring things can set you up to be unstoppable with your efficiency
- Learning how to lower stress – When I was younger I never realized how important this was. I remember when I was studying for my boards for Pharmacy school, I would wake up at 6am to study and would study up until I went to bed and I actually developed IBS. My Dad said he would rather me fail and be okay than over-stress my body. Whatever it is you’re stressing about in college – of course you want to study and work hard – but it’s not worth your health. How I lower stress → meditation (I was trained in transcendental meditation), having a clean room, 30-40 minutes to myself each day… these things (or whatever else de-stresses you) set you up to be more successful.
- Learning how to exercise – Not just working out but finding a workout that resonates with you. In college I used to think I hated working out and then I found cardio kickboxing. It was the first time I found a class I had so much fun doing and I would go with my best friend and it became our thing. It’s funny now because that’s changed over the years but the idea is to always move your body in a way that is fun for you. I used to love high energy HIIT and now I love weight training and yoga… once you’re doing it long enough you will feel so good from the endorphins
- Learning how to eat healthy – I think adopting the right eating patterns at a young age is so important. If I knew sooner, rather than having gained 15 lbs in college and then having to lose it, I could have avoided the excess weight gain all together. But also – restricting yourself or eating too light is not healthy. I went through a phase where I thought that eating only fruit and veggies was good for me and then I hated the way I looked because I got way too thin, and my hair also became super thin. You have to find what works for you – food journaling is a great way to see what foods make you feel good and then you could build out a healthy diet from there.
- Understanding how young you really are – I remember at 22 I thought I was so old. I used to say “What’s the point – everything past 21 is just depressing.” I remember when I turned 27 I thought i was so old again, and then you look back at the years prior and realize how young you really were. I remember people 5-10 years older than me would try to remind me how young I am. Just know you’ll always feel “old” but knowing this is useful because its a reminder to not stress over your age – there’s no point!
I hope these little life lessons help in any way :)
