How to Enjoy Life as a Teen

The "best years of your life"? Maybe not, but you can learn to make the most of your high school days.

Steps

1. Focus on the positives of each day.
2. Choose your friends wisely. Unlike what many articles state, you don't have to be popular and have a gazillion friends to be happy. In fact, many of the "friends" you have when you are popular are not true friends. Four or Five close friends is really all you need.
3. Play a sport or work out. Having a healthy body leads to a healthy and happy mind. Being confident in your appearance makes you more confident in other areas.
4. Be sociable. Participating in clubs and sports increases your chances of meeting friends. While you only need 4 or 5 close friends, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to meet new people. Participating gives you something to do instead of sitting bored at home and wallowing in self- pity.
5. Go for it! If you have a special girl/guy you want to ask out, dance with, etc. just ask! You probably won't be rejected but if you are, remember that there will always be someone else.
6. Keep your grades up. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your hard work pay off in the form of A's and B's. This also sets you up to get into a college you want to go to, which in turn prepares you for a career you will enjoy, improving your quality of life in the future.
7. Find a hobby you enjoy so that when you can't be with your friends,you can pursue interests you enjoy. Video games are not good, neither is sitting on your booty watching the tele. Find a hobby that is actually meaningful or practical. Ok, as nerdy as it sounds, use your "hobby time" to either A) Volunteer (to gain practical skills for college apps and scholarships) B. Learn an instrument, or get into something else in the creative field like painting or dance, because this is the time to start developing and uncovering passions that might otherwise lie dormant. C) Work at a job you can enjoy. Working is a great way to gain experience and to meet other people. When you do get out of college, interviewing companies will look at your prior work experience.
8. Do your best at everything so you can be proud of everything you do. But remember to give yourself a break when you fail.
9. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.
10. If you are not good at sports, join the band or choir. You'll still be going to games for free like the jocks if you are in pep band, and you have as many opportunities to meet new people as the jocks. Also those band trips may be even more fun than the "jock" trips.

Tips

• Organizing and prioritizing your life will get rid of so much stress. Get a calendar, PDA, anything. Seeing your life laid out will let you see how much you really can do.
• If you are more of an introvert and want to have more confidence around people, set goals to become more open. For example, contribute to class discussions, start a conversation with someone, etc.
• There are all sorts of articles on how to be more confident, look at them for ideas but do not follow just one.
• Be yourself. It's no fun pretending to be someone else. Instead, make yourself better.
• If you want to change your style of dress, don't be afraid to do it. People will notice but they won't find it "strange" or "weird"; in fact, they usually notice a lot less than you'd expect.
• Find things which excite you. It might be a sport, an academic subject, or the works of an author/movie maker. Find ways to relate the things which interest you to your life. Being able to relate things to your interests/passions will help you to, eventually, enjoy everything which you do.
• It sounds cheesy, but enjoy your schoolwork. If there's something which you don't understand, then instead of trying to re-read your notes, ask somebody who is knowledgeable and passionate about that subject. Even if the subject doesn't completely interest you, talking with somebody who is excited about it will help you to understand it better. Perhaps you will also find it interesting.
• Remember, school is like a job and your grades are like your money.
• If you find something interesting and enjoy doing it, you will get better at it. This comes in useful later in life.
• Although a job is great for money, don't work too much if you can avoid it. You will never have any time for fun with your friends
• Don't try to live up to anyone's standards but your own. If your parents think a B+ is a terrible test grade, work harder next time but don't get wigged out about it.
• Don't worry about what others have to say about you. Their opinions don't matter and only come from a source that doesn't know you.

Warnings

• Be very careful around drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. These things could ruin your life and make you depressed. Any true friend will not force you to do such a thing. If someone you know is abusing substances, don't let them control that person's life.
• Don't fall to pressure with dating, kissing and sex.