Just turned 18 today. Any personal or professional advice you wished someone gave you when you were 18?
Most advice makes no sense unless the corresponding experience has been made.
Don't ignore advice even if doesn't make sense yet. Once more experience has been gathered, more and more advice makes sense.
People who give advice that makes no sense aren't stupid, they have simply made different experiences.
When I was 18 I had done badly in my school exams due to lack of focus, and just managed to scrape into a degree course in pure maths at a low grade college. I did no work at all except in the pursuit of pleasure and was thrown out after a year. Despite not looking for work I collected benefits, and someone in that office decided I was employable. I was persuaded to go for an interview for a job as a "programmer" (this was 1972). They thought I had potential and took me on. No one expected prior knowledge in those days. I loved the job, they loved me, and I never looked back.
I wish I had some sage advice, but in the end you are who you are and life throws random stuff at you. Start there and work with it.
Interestingly, it would be much of the advice I received at that young time in my life.
Seek the wisdom of your elders. Many of them have extremely high value, hard won knowledge they want to share. You may well end up having great friends and mentors in your life.
Rid yourself of personal judgement. Avoid judging others and reject attempts by others to judge you. Exceptions include friends and mentors who have good intent in these things.
Intent matters. Make sure yours is good.
The world is not fair at all. For a few of us, that reality can be ignored. The few live where there is opportunity, or have parents with real means, and so on.
Most of us, including you are going to have to get lucky to live really well. And we can improve our chances!
Seek real skills. Empower yourself by doing at every opportunity. When this happens in our youth it multiplies our value and enables us to take best advantage of what opportunity may fall before us.
You are who you hang with. Choose your friends wisely. Same goes for your spouse.
You are smart enough. A huge percentage of life comes down to showing up and helping out. Others return consideration given; otherwise, there often is none due you. Everything comes down to doing the work. Do do the work.
Seek to amplify the good so it spreads among you, yours and if you can, theirs. In this way, the world we live in can be what we make of it.
Play. Never, ever stop. If somehow you do, seek help from your circle of people you trust. Play cracks inhibition and doing that frees us to gain real understanding.
Take care of you. Others who see that will help.
Share hard won wisdom so that others may benefit.
Oh, and make sure you don't fall for that crazy chick from [town). She is not worth it.