There are things we wish we knew when we were younger that we know now. We look back on life and wonder if someone would have told us how to live life a few years ago, we would not be in the same situation we are in now. For example, a relative telling you to not regret anything you do in life, or to always live in the moment and not look back. Advice is key to living a great life. If one listens to the people who have already experienced what he or she is now going through, one could embrace life and live it to the best of their potential. One should listen to their elders; they know what they are talking about. Even though I have not experienced a lot in my life, I have been through high school and know now how to handle it. One piece of advice is to always be independent and not thrive on following the crowd or trying to look “cool.” I, personally, have always been independent and love being on my own. If you try to be a follower, you will not experience life for yourself; you will be experiencing life through another person. Being independent during high school will also help you when you go to college and even after that. If you want to go away for school or are planning on moving out of your parents’ home, you will not have mommy and daddy to depend on. Not depending on anyone but yourself will bring you closer to finding out who you really are and you will have a better understanding of what life feels like when you are on your own. Not believing everything people tell you is also crucial for surviving high school. Teenagers talk and gossip spreads around quickly; however, just like playing the game telephone, people tend to change the story a little. I know from going to an all girls school, gossip went around within five minutes from when the particular incident happened. What you hear is not always the truth so be careful, you would not