Quote Originally Posted by AP
OK. Can some adult mod tell PI not to pay attention to SFTS on this subject?
I think I'll decline that invitation, because he's not wrong - and neither are you or the rest of the fellows here. The gist, the overall theme of all the posts here is: this is an important time of one's life, ages 15-19. Decisions made in that period will determine just how hard, or how easy, one's 20's and early 30's will be. So what is important when going through that period (in my opinion) is:

1) Pay attention; don't just drift through this time. Be deliberate in your choices of academics, sports, socializing, and health.
2) Get as much real education as you can afford, and can absorb. Teach yourself to learn quickly, any subject, in any environment, from any/all sources and people.
3) High School is always full of cliques, a natural tendancy among humans under stress. Try to learn to move among them, to find out what they're about, what "language" they speak. This'll be handy later in life.
4) Here's a secret: you are already a Man. It may not feel like it while living with parents and going to school... but you are. And YOU are now in charge of educating & developing YOU. So think like that, and act like it.

That's it, except for: have fun, and good luck, as we say on the tw battlefield.