99 Things That I Learned From Sophomore Year

Monday, June 6, 2016


Ah, Sophomore year. It's had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of crazy. Lots of good and lots of bad. But I can honestly say that it was one of the best years yet. Which is kind of funny, because things didn't go perfectly, not by FAR. But sometimes I guess the good can outweigh the bad. It helps when you have some incredibly awesome friends with you. I learned a lot this year. Here's a peek. 

1. Musicals make life better (but I already knew that)
2. Use the planner. Just use it.
3. New York is simultaneously an incredible and terrifying place.
4. Anatomy is evil.
5. As are dissections. But having a guy friend helps a lot.
6. Time management is the most important thing ever.
7. Just be yourself. It's so much easier.
8. Dabbing gets old xD 
9. People can seem really great but end up being really toxic.
10. The hardest part about novel writing is just starting.
11. Literally no one cares if you don't wear makeup, so if you want to go without it, go without it.
12. Prom is 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000x more fun without a date
13. Sometimes you get put in a super overwhelming situation like TEACHING A DANCE CLASS and you freak out but then it turns out to be really fun.
14. When you find people who actually help you to feel MORE confident, you know they're the right people.
15. Mexican food can solve an abundance of problems.
16. Ordering Starbucks is a terrifying experience but frappuccinos are worth it.
17. VSCO is a lifesaver.
18. Talk less. Smile more. Yes I'm quoting Hamilton but it's actually really good advice.
19. Life is short. Eat the chocolate.
20. Don't stress yourself out over silly things. It's not worth it.
21. Non-tapered curling wands are glorious.
22. Don't procrastinate. I still haven't completely learned that lesson BUT I'M TRYING.
23. Social media isn't usually worth the time.
24. People aren't half as critical of you as you are of yourself.
25. The best kind of friends are those that you can call five times in the same day and they don't kill you.
26. Change isn't always horrible.
27. Dress codes are honestly the worst.
28. Laughter really is the best medicine.
29. Some people are going to be rude no matter what. Just ignore them
30. Write it down. Write everything down. You're gonna want to remember.
31. Some things you just can't change. Accept it.
32. Wash your hands. It's always a good decision.
33. Graduations can be happy and depressing at the exact same time.
34. Enjoy life more than you stress about it. 
35. If you've wanted to do something for ages, just do it. 
36. Hand lettering is super therapeutic.
37. Reach out. New people can be really cool.
38. Put birthdays on your calendar and get them a gift. Text them. Make them feel special.
39. Hide your phone from yourself. You'll get a lot more done.
40. Compliments are easy to give and you can make someone's day. 
41. Texting makes things confusing. Talk face to face. 
42. Waffles are better than pancakes. 
43. Just because you don't get to be a part of something that you wanted to be a part of, the world isn't over.
44. Start your graduation gifts in September. Trust me. 
45. Do the extra credit.
46. Boy Meets World is never a bad decision.
47. There's a Bible verse for everything. 
48. Stay hydrated. It's a good decision.
49. Likewise, don't forget to eat. This seems semi obvious but you wouldn't believe how often I do it. xD
50. Don't be scared of everything. You'll miss out.
51. Listen more than you talk.
52. If you stress yourself out to the point of feeling sick, it's probably not worth it. 
53. Putting just a little more effort into how you look can completely boost your mood/confidence.
54. Embrace craziness.
55. Be thoughtful.
56. High school relationships are stupid.
57. Will it matter a year from now? Probably not.
58. Keep a list of all of those inside jokes. You'll want to remember them.
59. Bad days are just that- a day.
60. Eyeliner saves lives.
61. Nothing lasts forever. This can either be a really sad thing, or a REALLY good thing. 
62. Thinking about college is the most stressful thing e.v.e.r.
63. Don't just stick to people your age. People who are older than you or younger than you can be awesome.
64. Try something new.
65. Even if someone treats you like crap, don't sink to their level. Don't let there be anything that can be blamed on you. 
66. Stretch.
67. Some of the funniest memories can be created while doing almost nothing.
68. Don't stay at home all the time, even if you're an introvert. Push yourself. 
69. It is possible to sprint in heels if you want to badly enough. 
70. Yoga pants are the best idea.
71. You're never too old to dress up for Halloween.
72. Eat the donut.
73. Hand-written notes are better than a text any day.
74. Zyrtec is a good option when you're allergic to Christmas trees.
75. Take thousands of photos. Take photos of people. Take photos of the mundane. One day it won't be mundane, it will be a memory. 
76. It's okay to screw up sometimes
77. It's also okay to forget sometimes
78. Army jackets are always a great idea.
79. Don't be a to-doist 
80. Cannoli was sent straight from heaven. 
81. You can make it through any class for just a year.
82. Sometimes you've just gotta binge-watch.
83. Compare/Contrast essays will never be fun.
84. Jesus is enough when nothing else is. 
85. Pandora makes school bearable. (When you don't have Spotify)
86. There's a reason why people love Netflix.
87. Standardized tests are about as evil as it gets.
88. Cleaning your room also clears your mind.
89. Having a list of audition songs makes life easier.
90. Don't get behind on your schoolwork.
91. Get a good pair of sneakers.
92. Avoid fake people at all costs.
93. Happiness is a choice.
94. People are never as perfect as they seem to be.
95. High school is much more fun with a good friend by your side.
96. Sometimes you need to give people a second chance. But some people run out of chances.
97. You can have fun with almost anything if you just try.
98. Sleep when you're tired. You can finish that thing tomorrow. 
99. Life is short. Enjoy it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, what are some of your takeaways from this year? Which of these points do you most relate to? I'd love for you to tell me in the comments. Also, my friend Rachel and I apparently share a brain, because we both are posting about what we've learned this year today. Plus she makes dabbing cute. Go check her out. 

38 comments:

  1. GIRL this was such a good idea!! Mind if I steal it and do this on my blog? ;p

    I can relate to practically everything in this list xD My main takeaway from this year is that Geometry was made for the torture of human souls...

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    1. I'm so glad that you did!!!

      Oh, gosh yes. I'M STILL DOING IT. Just kill me now please.

      Delete
  2. Good points! I definitely need to realize a few of them.. You did well to think of ninety-nine things too! I think 6, 14, 18, 37, 47, & 93 are my favourites. :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Jessica! Those are some of my favorites, too:)

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  3. guy friend are SOOOOOOOO much better than girl friends. No shaming girls but sometimes guys are easier to hang out with. Also, spend as much time as you can with your friends, you never know if this time will be the last time. Finally, relationships can bloom in short amounts of times...both deep, lasting, and sweet, distant relationships. Life wouldn't be possible without someone there by your side to catch you when you fall. Teasing does sometimes come in handy. The smallest memories are really the ones we cherish the very most. OOOOOOOHHHHHHH, here's a big one that is very personal to me...my best friend is the best. He's amazing, sweet, witty, charming, and so...there. He at one point told me that he wouldn't be able to come see me in a show. He actually guaranteed it, and gave a very good excuse...but then he still showed up anyway...to be supportive...and to see where I am the most comfortable. And he got very lucky...he say the best performance I have ever given in my entire life. Soooooo glad that he was able to make it.

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  4. The planer. I used that thing through the end! This year (senior year) when everyone was done and still didn't want to use planners I still used it and it helped me so much through high school! Cleaning your roon does clear your mind! Its the weirdest thing too!

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    1. I honestly didn't keep up with my planner quite as much as I wish that I had, but it really helped a TON. And isn't it crazy how much cleaning helps? It's pretty awesome.

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  5. YES TO PLANNERS AND JESUS AND VSCO CAM. NOT IN THAT ORDER BUT OKAY. I LOVED THIS GRACE ANNE. :*

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  6. WOW so much wisdom here! I just wanna keep all of these in a little book on my nightstand. Grace-isms. Much truth. Such wise. These are such important lessons that I NEED TO REMEMBER GAAH especially the fact that waffles are better than pancakes. And number 93, can I just have that stapled to my forehead? SO TRUE

    Katie katieconfetti.blogspot.com

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    1. XD Grace-isms. I think that I'll patent that.

      I'm so glad that you enjoyed this!! Gosh, I need to staple 93 to my forehead too- still working on that!!

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  7. YESSSS. This post was so awesome! And like your advice is really helpful and insightful too, so, LOVED IT <3 this whole post is awesome. so i'm not exactly sure what to way but that. =)

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  8. "Mexican food can solve an abundance of problems."

    PREEACCCHH.

    I have two tabs of your blog open right now so I can comment while I read, because sometimes I get to the end of a blog post and my brain blanks and I'm just like "...WHAT WERE THE 5877 THINGS I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY??"

    Way to go, teaching a dance class, girl! That's awesome.

    "People aren't half as critical of you as you are of yourself."
    and the thing about great-seeming people sometimes also being toxic?? I feel that, and it can be such a hard thing to deal with. But it's true.

    HIDING THE PHONE. I DO THIS. XD and it is amazing how much more you can accomplish when there isn't this little electronic beast lighting up and making beeping sounds every ten minutes!

    Grace Anne, you are wise beyond your years; there is SO much good advice in this post. Seriously. This sounds like it was a school year full of great new things + growth + learning for you. You should be so proud.

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    1. LIKE MEXICAN FOOD NEVER LETS YOU DOWN!

      Oh my gosh, I DO THE EXACT SAME THING! XD Because otherwise I literally forget everything and it's super frustrating.

      Agh thank you!!!! XD

      It's so hard, but it's so true. And I guess it's a good lesson to learn sooner rather than later!

      It's honestly mind blowing how much more productive I am when I'm not near my phone. XD Like it's so stupid but it helps so much!!

      Oh my goodness, thank you so much, Kate. <3 Your comments mean the world to me. xx

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  9. YES YES YES ALL THESE THINGS ARE FANTASTIC. I agree with like all these.

    ^I agree with Kate, too. ^and I also have two tabs open while I comment like all the time.

    but what even is #42 pssshh get Rachel over here.

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    1. THANK YOU EEP!!!

      It makes life so much easier tbh xD

      42 IS THE TRUTH

      Delete
  10. YES GRACE ANNE I LOVE ALL OF THESE. And #42 is the truest of them all!!

    Lol yes eyeliner does save lives.

    Literally want to write a comentary on this because all of these are so true. Like Mexican food is bomb and dress codes are the worst and ORDERING AT STARBUCKS IS MY BIGGEST FEAR.

    This was so great and totally worth the read :)))))

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    1. YES IT IS!! #wafflesforever

      It honestly does like idk how a little black line gives me so much more confidence but it does. xD

      WE'RE JUST THE SAME PERSON!

      Thank you so much, Mary Shelley! <3

      Delete
  11. I love all of these! I hope your year was great, and next year will be even better! :)

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  12. UGH THERE'S SO MANY THINGS I WANT TO COMMENT ON I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. JUST. THIS. THIS WHOLE THING IS GLORIOUS. *flailing* I love this idea and did it take an insane amount of time for you to write this? I feel like thinking up 99 things would take a while. xD

    Ooh and I JUST got the VSCO ca so it's very excited. I've seen lots of wonderful things about it. :P

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    1. EEK THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!! Not going to lie it took me like a day and a half to come up with everything.. XD

      VSCO IS AMAZING!! Although at first I was so confused I gave up on it for like, a month. xD

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  13. GRACE ANNE I LOVE THIS LIST FROM 1 TO 99. OMG. <3 *cuddles it* ESPECIALLY #42. Because. ;) muahaha. *all the unicorn emojis go here* OKAY SO I REALLY NEED TO JUST LIKE READ THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN ALL DAY ALRIGHT/?? SOUNDS GOOD. BECAUSE IT IS THAT BEAUTIFULLY HONEST AND SPECIAL AND GAHHHH. <3

    GOOD SHOES + ARMY JACKETS + YOGA PANTS = WE ARE BASICALLY THE SAME PERSON OK. this is soooo accurate I love it. xD so exactly what Katie my sister and Katie Grace said up there ^^^ I BASICALLY ARRIVE LATE TO YOUR BLOG POSTS AND ALL I CAN DO IS STUMBLE IN AND BE LIKE, "ASDFGHJKLKJHGFDSDFG! GUYS! ASDFGHJKJHGFDS!" #VeryCoherent

    BUT YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU GRACE ANNE :'''') <3
    here's to another year of learning awesome things!!

    abbiee

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    1. ASDFGHJKL THANK YOU SO MUCH ABBIE!!! Your comments literally make my day. 42 is definitely the most true statement ever;) BUT I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT YAY!!

      WE'RE TOTALLY THE SAME PERSON AND YOU ACTUALLY MAKE A TON OF SENSE SO IT'S WONDERFUL xx<3

      YOU ARE THE LITERAL BEST ABBIE! <3 *sends millions of hugs and unicorn emojis*

      Delete
  14. LOVE THIS POST!!! Everything you said is SO true, especially #1!! This year my school put on Elf the Musical at Christmas and High School Musical in June and it made the school year 100% percent better!!
    Oh and hand lettering is SUCH A STRESS BUSTER I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!
    -Em
    desinationblissblog.blogspot.ca

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    1. Oh my goodness that's so cool!!! You should blog about them sometime, I'd love to hear about them!
      ISN'T HAND LETTERING THE BEST???

      Delete
  15. Wow what a lovely post. You have indeed learnt a lot of things.
    I wanted to email you about possible writing a guest post for my blog but couldn't find your email address. Please do email me if you are interested.
    Joannyhite1996@gmail.com
    Joanny :)
    imachoccakeaholic.blogspot.cu.uk

    ReplyDelete
  16. Okay, I should totally do this after I'm done with each school year. But I love how you said Prom is like so much more fun without a date. That's what I've always heard, and so I'm sure it's true. But sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to have a date lol.

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    1. I've wondered what it would be like with a date, too, but I honestly feel like it's so much more fun and less stress if you just go with all of your best friends! Who knows though, that may just be a personal preference:)

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  17. That is quite a long list there ;) But I love it.

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    1. Thank you so much, Sophie! I really appreciate it!

      Delete

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