Things You’ll Need To Know When You’re 21

By Nur M. Nazri  •  07 Feb 2018 in Listicle

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When you’re 21, everything is like a complete blur, but a complete dream at the same time. It’s the age where it’s officially the beginning to almost everything in your life or it’s the temporary messy part of your life that you are longing to grow away from. It’s not just a number; at 21, you’re legally allowed to do almost everything.

No matter what state in your life that you’re in, here’s a few things that you’d want to remember or learn from when you hit that particular double-digit.

1. Always take photos of your receipts

Pulling out receipts on liars, cheaters, or haters, is just as important as pulling out receipts on bankers, managers, or even yourself. Keeping an extra copy, whether it’s on your phone, or on paper, is super important because at the most inconvenient, desperate times, you’re going to wish that you had some sort of proof.

For those who just started your first job, NEVER forget to write down your name, bank account number and date of your cheque deposit at the back of your first cheque. In case of any cheque clearance hiccups, it can help trace your money or records of transaction.

2. Plan your expenses now

For those still living under their parents’ roof, please don’t take this luxury for granted. As you grow older, you wouldn’t want to spend the rest of your youth feeling like a couch potato and having to ask your parents for money all the time. If you’re mature by now, you’d instantly understand that feeling of dread and guilt, and slight shame for asking a couple bucks from your parents.

So try your best to look for a job to support yourself, and plan out your monthly expenses properly. Through this process, you’ll realise what’s worth spending time on and what isn’t.

3. Never force yourself into anything

Whether it’s vibing out with your friends, or spending time with your bae, or even meeting someone new, when you’re 21, you’d realise where your comfort truly lies or somewhat have a rough guess of it. All those empty nights of partying, drinking, and lustful sex, can only bring you a certain amount of happiness–unless you’re an addict, or dealing with deep issues–then you need help.

Tbt, you’d just want to appreciate meaningful moments by yourself, or by those who are closest to you. Don’t get FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) attacks! It’s not worth your money and sleeping hours. Don’t worry about missing out, because true genuine moments will happen by themselves and you’ll be glad you didn’t waste your head space and dignity at stupid things. You’ll see what I mean…

4. Take care of your body

I can’t stress how much taking care of your body, whether it’s your skin or your physique, can play a role in how you react or feel about the things around you. You don’t need to turn into a gym junkie or become a gluten-free, extreme vegan. All you need to do, is look after your basics – drink enough water EVERYDAY, eat those three important meals of the day, and exercise for at least 20 to 40 minutes daily.

It seems hard at first because most of us are concerned with our financial well-being, and that goes back to my second point. If you can, keeping yourself fed can go a long way in how your mood will be. Just imagine that you are your own character in The Sims. Keep that happiness, satisfaction and sense of fulfilment level at green.

5. Karma is a real bit*h

Just because you left your high school years unscathed, doesn’t mean karma isn’t creeping around every corner following you. This goes out to those who were probably a real pain in the as$ in high school, but transformed into a complete different person after ‘something life-changing’ happened.

I’m not saying everyone was bad in high school, heck, even out of high school and during your uni years, you’ve probably done something to someone that you’d look back and regret. So when karma does come knocking at your door; greet it warmly, have tea with it, and let it beat you down the way it’s supposed to.

6. Take it easy, you’re not 21 forever

Some of us struggle way too early in our lives, academically, or professionally, because we get too caught up in making sure that we don’t disappoint our parents, or whoever it is we want to impress. Either that, or we hustle way too early for ourselves that we miss out on important family or friend events, and anniversaries. It’s scary to try, or to do, but just remember to take a deep breath, and remember to take things one at a time. Whether you’re an entrepreneur now, or just a regular student, 21 is a time when it’s OK to make mistakes. You learn the most about life from the most jacked up situations that you fall into. If you let yourself…

There’s plenty of more lessons and values that you’ll eventually learn at 21. You may have learnt them earlier on, or you might learn them later on in your life. Everyone has a different story, different reasons why they are the way they are. But advice like this will go a long way for those who need some sort of direction or clearance in their life. Let’s face it, you’re not going to be 21 forever. So, do all that you can whilst you still have the chance (and your youth)!