23 Lessons You Learn In Your Early Twenties

    None of us have any idea what we're doing.

    Lara Parker
    by Lara Parker

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. You learn that the friends you thought would be there forever won't be, and the ones you never expected to stick around will be right by your side.

    CW

    2. You learn that no one really cares about your GPA and that college didn't actually prepare you for much.

    3. You learn that your first job is most definitely not your dream job.

    20th Century Fox

    And you might not even know what your dream job actually is anymore.

    4. And you learn that budgeting is ESSENTIAL and will be forced upon you by student loan payments that you can no longer defer.

    5. You realize that connections will get you further than a great cover letter ever will, and it may not be fair, but it's true.

    AMC

    You have to be nice to people.

    6. And you know that you can never stop networking.

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    Even if you think you will stay at your job forever; chances are, you probably won't.

    7. You begin to realize that money is not everything, but it sure as hell is something.

    Via ijusthaveafewnotes.com

    So while your friends may be making loads more than you... remember that money isn't the key to happiness. But you also have to learn to negotiate and know what you deserve.

    8. You learn how important it is to swallow your pride and work your way to the top, which could sometimes mean unpaid internships.

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    9. But you also learn how equally important it is to know your worth and know when to walk away from a place that doesn't recognize your worth.

    Via MTV

    Because if you don't see your worth, no one else will either.

    10. You learn that no matter how you pictured your life in your twenties, chances are you won't be anywhere near where you thought would be.

    E! Networks / Via tumblr.com

    Which doesn't mean you aren't exactly where you're supposed to be.

    11. You know now that mistakes are crucial for growth.

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    12. And that you have to always be on your own side.

    Via goodreads.com

    13. You quickly learn that comparing yourself to others gets you nowhere.

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    Especially not while browsing Facebook before you go to sleep at night.

    14. And you're reminded how to make new friends now that you are no longer surrounded by your childhood friends.

    NBC

    Because you won't live next door to your friends forever, unfortunately.

    15. You learn to accept the fact that you will absolutely still rely on your parents for some things.

    Bravo
    Bravo

    16. You realize very quickly that every relationship that matters takes a lot of work.

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    17. While simultaneously accepting the fact that you should receive as much as you give from the people you surround yourself with.

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    18. You begin to realize that your body is worth investing in.

    19. You learn how to take responsibility for all of your actions.

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    You're an adult now. It's no longer your past's fault that you're a mess — it's yours.

    20. And you discover that people who aren't always the nicest will get ahead in life, but that doesn't demean your own successes.

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    21. You will learn that you aren't lucky.

    Britney Spears Television LLC

    But that you make your own luck.

    22. Every single day, you will realize how much you still have to learn.

    UPN
    UPN

    23. But most importantly, you will learn that life is what you make it.

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    So you have to make it outstanding.

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