15 Again - A List of 10 Tips for Navigating the Teenage Years

Oh, to be 15 again. Often, we wish we were younger, but do you remember how much it stunk to be 15? I do. Even though I had a lot of fun, I wouldn't want to do it again.

If I either knew a few of these tips or at least listened to the ones people gave me, 15 might not have been as tricky of an age. Here's a list of 10 tips I could come up with for navigating through the teenage years.

It does get better. When you're 15, it feels like the world caves in on you any time someone makes fun of your outfit, calls you a crater face, or teases you for your level of or lack of sexual activity. School makes it tricky. It's like a fish bowl because you have to go back every day. You have to see the same people over and over. And many of those people like to gang up on people. But it does get better, and soon enough, you'll no longer have to deal with these people.

It also gets worse. When you're 15, every problem seems like the end of the world, but really, most 15-year-olds don't have that much responsibility. Even those 15-year-olds who do have major responsibilities are likely to end up with many more once they are adults. So the piece of advice is, when people shove your ears full of clichés, "This is the best time of your life," for example, don't be annoyed. They're actually right in some ways. Enjoy having more free time and less responsibility now.

Bullying is based on insecurity. People don't form packs and gang up on you because you are that ugly or because your mom is that fat. There's a kind of adolescent group mentality that takes over when a pack leader start to torment someone. The rest seem to tag along whether they want to or not because it's better than becoming the next person to be made fun of. It's a vicious cycle and it's not fun to deal with at the time, but if you can recognize the ignorance of the person treating you this way and you can recognize your own strengths and self-confidence, you can still do anything. These people don't need to matter.

Bullying goes away. In most cases, people grow up. You may not get to see the results of this until your 10 year class reunion, but most people that were tools in high school grow up a bit. If not, repeat the cycle of ignoring them.

Peer pressure only works if you allow it to. It can be embarrassing to have the whole school spreading rumors about you or to have your friends think you are lame because you won't try everything they do. But it's much more important to listen to your own head and heart, make your own choices, and ignore the pressures other people put on you. Talk to your parents and your real friends to get the support you need for making your own decisions.

You should talk to your parents. Even though it can be as mortifying as delivering a speech to your whole school in your underwear, you need to talk to your parents. They may get mad, or even worse, "disappointed," but they are more likely to stand by you than anyone else. If you're confused, if you have questions, or if you just want to chat, they will be there. Even if they are upset with you at first, they will come around at least enough to still love and care for you.

You really are that thin. It seems like 15-year-old girls always feel fat, but when people look back on those pictures 15 years later, they feel silly for ever thinking they were fat before. So don't be so hard on yourself now, because someday, you'll look back and realize how great you looked and that you had nothing to worry about.

Math and science aren't the only valuable classes. A lot of people go through their school years wanting to pursue music or art but feel like they don't have the time to pursue more creative interests because of math and science homework. It's important to learn these skills, but it's also important to be well-rounded and to enjoy your own talents and activities.

Don't be afraid to go against the grain. It's ok to be a jock. It's ok to be a band geek. It's ok to be both. It's ok to be neither. Everybody should participate in the things they enjoy and not get too worried about the labels that come along with them.

Don't be afraid to try new things. Don't be afraid to fail. Don't be afraid that people will tease you. If you really want to try something, just do it. Trust me, it's great to be well rounded, and in the future, you'll never regret having many talents and interests.