For teenagers, life can often be full of confusing changes and unexpected choices. What may have seemed straightforward in childhood is now complex and challenging. Experiences such as developing relationships, contemplating the future, and deciding about education options or career paths are all part of the teenage experience. Even when we think we know what direction to take, our perspectives on these matters can shift quickly. Below are the top 20 truths for today's young adults to give them some peace and assurance about all the decisions and change.

1. Take Your Time

One user said, “It's okay to not resolve something immediately. If someone doesn't answer your text/WhatsApp/Facebook message, if you need to take some time to think if you want to join in that fun event, if you hear that phone ring and you miss it, If you're not answering to a social media post, things aren't going to blow up. Real life requires you to do one thing at a time, well or great, and not a million things.”

Another user replied, “Except important stuff…like finances…pay your bills RIGHT AWAY.”

2. You Will Get Behind Sometimes

One user shared, “While school has a structure in place to prevent you from falling behind, real life doesn't offer the same safety net.”

Another user replied, “I will also say that conversely some of the arbitrary deadlines in school don't apply to the real world. In college, it was kind of teachers being overly lax or strict. In the real world, if something cannot get done, regardless of the time or resources you throw at it, then it won't get done. Yeah, you may have a p- off client, but most of the time, as long as you communicate these issues as soon as possible, clients understand. Of course, it doesn't always play out that way, but the real world seems to recognize real issues better than school sometimes can.”

3. On Time Is Better Than Perfect

“It's better to finish something on time, even if it isn't perfect, than not to finish it at all,” one user posted.

Another replied, “This is so true. I find this with young grads coming through at work. Smart young people and many/most become good at their jobs… But there seems to be a need for perfection and an expectation they will get the time to achieve it.

“Maybe every generation is like that when young, but I notice it a lot these days. Maybe I'm just getting old. To the list, I would add… you will need to deal with uncertainty. Not everything will be clear and have an excellent tidy answer.”

4. Don't Always Trust Social Media

One user shared, “Social media is harmful.”

Another user replied, “Yes, I've heard from friends about their teenage siblings falling for TikTok fake news almost as often as I hear baby boomers fall for Facebook fake news lol.” 

5. 30 Is Not Old

One Redditor stated, “30 is not old.”

Another user replied, “This. Too many people in their 30s and 40s act like they're already practically in their graves.”

6. Expect Your First Job to Be Hard

One user shared, “That your first job out of college is probably not going to be the cushy WFH jobs you see people have on TikTok. You're probably going to have to grind for a bit.”

Another commenter added, “Also, you're probably not going to make 500k doing computer science right after graduating.”

7. Get Advice From Experts

“Your friends are idiots. They have just as much education as you. Take expert advice on what you want to know,” one user posted.

Another user replied, “I'm an older teen who legit doesn't understand how you could think otherwise from this. I've seen teens say that older folks wouldn't know what we're dealing with, but that's the opposite of the truth. They've already lived it and more. They would be the perfect ones to know what's going on and give us advice. Just because we might not like what they say doesn't mean they're wrong. That seems like the most logical conclusion to me.”

8. Influencers Aren't All That Unique

One user shared, “When everyone thinks they're an influencer, no one is an influencer.”

Another user commented, “I'm not in, nor do I pay attention to the numbers in social media posts. How many followers do you need actually to be an actual influencer? You can't deny that people like Mr. Beast is an influencer out of the sheer amount of views he gets.”

9. You May Need to Compromise on Your Job

“Very few people get to ‘do what they love for a living.' Most adults have to compromise between what they want from life and what they want to give up to get it,” one Redditor posted. 

10. Adult Life Is Challenging

One commenter shared, “Unless your parents have money and are willing to support you, life is about to get a whole lot more difficult.”

Another user added, “The problem is not that you ‘can't' walk in and get a job. You can, but you should be aware of the fact that you can lose that job as fast as you call it since they do get tons of applications.

“I used to work at some restaurant that just handed out job applications to every teenager who came there. One of the servers was over 18, and she had been working there for a few years. And when she complained about something to the managers, they just told her that she could either stay and not complain or she could just leave.

“They had a lot of people who could replace her, but those managers should understand that this ton of people who could replace that loyal and great server will leave soon enough and won't be as good as her. I'm pretty sure that everyone who started working there simultaneously didn't last even a year. Most stayed for a few months, probably not even half a year.”

11. No One Cares About High School

“No one gives a f– what you did in high school,” one user shared.

Another user commented, “Jokes on you, after two concussions in my early 20s, I can't even remember what I did in high school!”

Another user replied, “PREACH!”

12. Take Responsibility for Your Mental Health

One Redditor posted, “That trauma, mental illness, gender identity, sexuality are not justifications for being a s- person. Your mental health may not be your fault, but it is your responsibility.”

Another user added, “Paying rent and buying groceries quickly humbles you. You're not paying your bills because of your mental health? The landlord will not care.”

13. You Don't Need Constant Relationships

“Teen love is a glorified myth from shows and movies. You don't need to seek relationships constantly. Just live your life,” one user shared.

Another user replied, “Most of my friends laugh in my face when I say that I'm not interested in it yet and say I'm lying, but I just wanna enjoy what's left of my youth for as long as possible lol.”

14. Be Respectful of Others

One user posted, “You need to remember that you can't speak to people IRL the same way you do from your keyboard. You'll get popped in the mouth.”

Another user commented, “I work with a teenager, and he was going for his license, and the person riding with him told him to go down a certain way. It turns out it was a wrong-way street or something, and he went down it, so he failed. The 16-year-old looked at him and said you're an a–.

“I was like, you really didn't say that, did you?! He said well yeah, I did because he was an a–. Kids are gonna have a hard time in the real world. It doesn't help that he half-a–es his job and expects to get paid more.”

15. People Don't Care That Much

“People don't care about you nearly as much as you think. Be a good person, but do what makes you happy without stress because people don't have you In their minds as soon as you turn the corner!” one user shared. 

16. You Need to Adapt

One Redditor posted, “You need to adapt to the world. Not expect that the world will adapt to you.”

Another user commented, “So much this. The world is not going to change for you. The world is not here to affirm you. You must affirm yourself and adjust your behaviours/develop coping skills to adapt to the world.”

17. School Is Not Useless

One user shared, “Schools are not as useless as they think; they do have problems, but it's been proven over time and time that education is one of the few ways to get out of poverty.”

Another user added, “The complaint that courses that you learn in school don't ever apply. Like most math courses. They are there to teach you how to think; if you find a job that directly has you doing Matrices with linear algebra, good on you. Otherwise, you know how to approach things from different angles.”

18. Let Emotions Just Be Emotions

“An emotion can be purely just an emotion, not a trigger, not depression and anxiety and not a reason to have a mental health crisis; sometimes it's okay just to be sad!” one Redditor posted. 

19. Don't Pay Too Much for College

One user shared his thoughts and posted, “You don't need an EXPENSIVE college degree. A private school that makes you take out huge loans to afford it is really not necessary at all. It is unlikely to yield better results. Also, living on campus is massively overrated, and if you can continue to live for free at home, it's usually a great idea.

“State schools are generally far cheaper and usually of very decent quality. Also, look into EVERY potential scholarship (both merit-based and need-based) you might qualify for. Please fill out the FAFSA every single year and do it early.

“If state college isn't looking super affordable, maybe there are no scholarships you qualify for that would help out. There's absolutely nothing wrong with going the community college route. Relative to 4-year schools, community colleges can be dirt cheap and often provide way more flexibility if you want to do school and work part-time.

“Then, after two years, if you want to continue your education and finish up at a 4-year school, you generally can. In most cases, the credits should transfer (especially if the community college and state college are part of the same system), and you get yourself a bachelor's degree and only pay the sticker price for two years instead of 4.

“If you live in a state that hasn't taken this seriously and hasn't invested in affordable higher education options, consider moving to a state that has. Establishing residency to get in-state tuition rates may take a year or more, but this can be worth it in many circumstances.

“Where you got your degree matters less and less these days. The stigma of online degrees is even lessening to a large extent, especially since COVID.

“It's straightforward to get caught in financial traps when it comes to school, but it's possible to avoid them. You have to plan things out and stick to what's realistic so that you know you can see through to the end. Don't compare yourself to others. You're running your race. You're on your path.

“The trades can be great for many. But if you're not the manual labor type, you may be much better off finding a cheap higher education solution rather than trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.” 

20. You're Not the Main Character

One commenter shared, “You're not always the main character.”

Another user replied, “You can go a little more in-depth with this, I think. You're the main character of your own story. You just need to accept the fact that you'll be an NPC to the vast majority of people you encounter.”

Another user commented, “Enjoy being the quirky NPC in everyone else's story.”

Do you agree with the challenging truths that were listed above? Share your thoughts!

Source: Reddit.

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