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Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
11–20 of 28 posts
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#12Personally I would say to my 20 year old self, (I'm about to turn 30):
Write more code, lean into it, don't avoid it. (I have a masters in mechanical engineering, but I ended up writing code anyway in a tech company.)
Do more public speaking. (I still get unreasonably anxious about this and I feel like I suck at it)
Stick to hobbies and exercise (I'm a perpetual beginner in several things, I am not consistent at practicing guitar, or at rock climbing, two things I love and would like to be better at. It's generally more enjoyable to be somewhat decent at things.)
Read more books (and make 1 in 10 of those a fiction book, I read too much non-fiction business/technical/startup books)
Do more online courses (It took me ages to finally get around to doing things, I completed CS50x and some FreeCodeCamp stuff and I enjoyed it a learned a lot.)
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#13get rid of the people who slow you down because they just are! don't talk to stranger idiots. They'll pull you down to their level and beat you by experience. *don't expect something from others. Do it yourself.
To add to this: Don't waste your time trying to convincing idiots on internet. (But listen broadly and keep the good and discard the bad.)
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#14Go travel. But… you don’t really like backpacking, always moving and 6am starts and getting drunk like all the other travellers, and meeting people is hard so instead travel as a geek: find tech conferences to go to, meet other nerds. Rip up those Lonely Planet books and just ask for recommendations (special experiences that need to be booked excepted!)
I would probably do more chill holidays like yoga retreats.
Live in a big city too. Too many small minded people otherwise. Sorry HNers excepted!
More than all of that: dump toxic relationships super fast: you know somethings up just jettison that shit. Only exception is your kids. No one else gets unconditional! Change phone numbers if you have to, etc.
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#15"Have at it. You'll screw up. It's life. Live simply and you'll be fine."
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#16Go to the gym.
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#17There's no way I would have been able to get through to him... he was convinced that the world was against him, personally.
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#18Try not being born into the working class next time.
And if you're born middle or higher, pursue the arts - that's what your 20s are for.
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#19Don't date that cute blond from the bar, she's crazy. Let people help you.
Re: Ask HN: What advice would you have given your younger 20-year-old self?
#20I would advice me the following: "You are about to finish your army duties any day now...take your time, don't rush yourself for work or university, go find a job, preferably in craft category, and take a taste what society is all about. After your clear your mind, take your time to decide where you want to direct your attention...and please, stay away from relationships; it does not work for you, no matter how hard you try! Now, off you go, enjoy life!"