17 Things You Should Know Before You Turn 21

You are answerable to yourself and that is it. Yes at times, you are also answerable to your parents, but you don’t have to bend down your rules for them. There is no need to tell whom you date, what you eat or what you wear to others. Self Confidence is the best gift to you from you.

Learn to save some money every month and have a savings account. By the time you turn 21, you have special needs for yourself. This savings could also be useful for them. So, try to save some money in your account. Oh, open an account if you haven’t already!

You don’t have to be a people pleaser at all. You can cut off people if you do not like them or they are acting too weird with you. You can have only two friends, 20 Face book posts and no one to call or speak to, which is still fine. Don’t go ahead and please people because, end of the day, what they think doesn’t matter in the bigger picture at all.

If you are living outside your hometown, try to rent a house for yourself. Having roommates is a personal choice. But, if you rent a house in the city, you will know that you can take care of yourself, your expenses. Yes, it sucks at first. But you will love to do things by yourself later. It may not look like a great idea, but trust yourself and do it!

You are a grown up woman now. You can buy whatever you want and fill your closet with whatever you want. There may be a few dresses that you might never wear, but who cares! Just buy them for your satisfaction. You never know what would come back in fashion.

Every girl deserves to be in a happy and romantic relationship. So having a romantic life with your other half is totally worth it. If you want to explore the romantic side with more than just one person, try to take it slow, but do it for the experience.

Work work work! Let there be a time when you put in all the attention in your work and get the satisfaction of working hard. It is worth it. So, feel good about your professional skills sometime.

Just travel and get lost in your own world. Let there not be anyone to guide you through your travel. Solo trips can be a great stress buster for all the hard work you do at work. So, take solo trips before you turn 21.

Go on blind dates! This might actually be a fun thing to do. You don’t know the guy, you have no idea how he looks. So, just go for it. Ask your friend to fix you up with some third guy she knows and get a date. If everything goes well, you never know!

Have a weird hobby that does not involve drinking or smoking or doing anything that is regular. Do not count shopping also in this. Try different things as your hobby and pick one favorite out of it. Plus, never share your weird hobby with others to avoid judgements and embarrassments.

Sometimes, it is fine to not care about other people, their opinions and actually even yours. It is fine to look the way you want to. Size is a topic that is generally over hyped and girls give way too much importance than it should actually get. So, stop worrying about your body and just binge on whatever you want to. Cravings can’t be reduced, weight can be! So, do that later!

Before you turn 21, this should definitely be on your list. Get a favorite tattoo on the area you always wanted to get. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is. Yes, make sure it makes sense for the long run and then get one. Getting boyfriend’s initials can be tricky if you are not in a steady relationship or if you do not know the future. So, always think before getting one, but do get it done!

This could be a challenge , quite literally. Try to avoid all the outer world connections just for one day. Make sure you don’t watch the TV, switch off your phone and throw it somewhere, try to keep your laptop away and read a book, do gardening, play with your pet. There are some things that most of you have not experienced because you are either busy checking messages or Whatsapping or Facebooking. So, give yourself a break and go ahead without any connections with the outer world.

Though this may not be the first in every girl’s agenda. But try to visit your parents at least once a week or twice a month. Straighten things out with them, if they aren’t all fine. Be grown-ups about it and make things alright with the parents.

Shop your heart out! Needless to say, a lot of you are already doing this. But, before you turn 21, have everything that you always wanted to possess. The amazing lingerie, that statement jewelry you always wanted to buy, a kinky pantyhose, a black pumped up stilettos, a sexy black dress and much more.

No matter how old you grow, remember to cut cake on your birthday. This will make you look back on the small happiness you have associated with life. Bring in your parents, friends and cut a cake.

There are so many phases in life where we acquire good friends, but how many of them actually stay is what matters. So by the time you are 21, you should have at least one friend who you can trust no matter what. The relationship with that one person should be way beyond explanations. It doesn’t matter if the friend is a guy or girl, all matters is his/her presence in your life. Trust that friend with all you have and reciprocate.

Here are some things every girl should possess before she turns 30

–Pavithra Ravi