15 Things I Wish I'd Known 5 Years Ago

5 years ago I was the tender age of 18, I was coming up to my last few months at school, I was freaking out about all my friends going off to uni and I was staying at home to do a Foundation course, I celebrated a year with my boyfriend (we're about to celebrate 6 this May) and I had A Levels to contend with. 

Here's 15 things I wish I could go back and tell my 18 year old self now with 5 long years of hindsight ahead of me; 

1. You don't like clubbing- don't kid yourself just because you're 18 and all your friends are out doing it. You don't drink, you don't like other people when they drink, it'll give you some hilarious memories but in about 2 years you're going to realise it's better for everyone if you just don't go. 
2. Your Foundation year is going to be the thing that makes you - absolutely make the most of it. 
3. Save some of your EMA - you'll never be this rich with no responsibilities again and trust me, you'll need that £300 quid you just spent on clothes when you get to uni. 
4. Your boyfriend isn't going to stay in Bristol university past March, it isn't the end of the world when he leaves and actually, when you do both go to uni when you're 19 it'll be seriously good for your relationship. 
5. You don't need to drive, you haven't got the money for it, your parents always give you lifts anyway - save the agro and do it when you're older. 
6. Your brother is going to ask you to help him pass his History A Level this time next year, make sure you pay attention whilst you're sitting it! 
7. Your Art teacher is wrong and you will get higher than a B in your exam, in fact you'll get an A* and you should probably bite your tongue when she says she knew you could do it all along. 
8. Make the most of the last day of school and results day because you'll remember every piece of it for the next 5 years, make it a good one. 
9. Don't turn up to your Photography exam late because you were collecting your school photos - you'll get the biggest bollocking of your school career. 
10. Similarly, when bleach reacts funny to watercolour on your Art exam, don't panic, you still get the top grade anyway and you can always cover it with more paper (legit what I did).
11. Smirnoff Ice is minging, don't even bother.
12. Don't get smug about how much praise you get for your artwork, your university interviews are about to prove not everyone likes it. 
13. Welsh Baccalaureate is pointless, you're all correct in thinking so. 
14. Pay attention when your teachers are showing you how to apply for universities, just because you've already been accepted on your Foundation course doesn't mean you're going to know what to do when you've left 6th form and have to apply on your own. 
15. Don't worry. In 5 years time you'll still have the same old friends you met in year 7 but you'll have a whole gaggle of new ones too. You'll still have the same boyfriend, in fact you'll be living together too. You'll be able to drive, you'll have bought yourself two shiny computers and a car, you'll have graduated and not driven yourself mad with student debt. You'll be working for yourself in the career you ALWAYS wanted to do and although the next 5 years are going to throw up the biggest changes and the most challenging times of your life, you'll like your lot much more than when you were 18.