In response to all the 'omg I made all the wrong decisions and now I don't know what to do with my life' threads, I thought this thread could offer some general words of wisdom from those of us who have been there, done that.

Please add your own.

* Really think about what you enjoy AND what you're good at when making study decisions. You can find a great job and rewarding career, but make sure you're really honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. You'll know deep down if you have the talent to be a fashion designer or not.

* Don't get sucked into the glamour of a career . Being a forensic investigator sounds cool, but no point pursuing it if you hate science and maths. Similarly, if you want to be a music writer, are you willing to start at the bottom of the journalistic food chain first?

* Understand the big picture. So, you just spent the last three years doing a degree you now realise you either weren't all that passionate about or that has given you zero job prospects. You cannot erase three years of learning. You have still got something out of it and in the end, it is all experience and so embrace it as a positive thing, then move on.

- Realise that there are often many aspects to certain career fields and what you set out to do probably won't be where you end up.
- You're never stuck. If you decide you've made the wrong choices, don't stress. Relax and give it time before forcing yourself to make decisions.
- Listen to other people but don't take what they say as gospel. Remember - people talk crap.
- Often things are boring to begin with. I'm studying criminology and the kids all get so bored during lectures because they expect gory slides and serial killers when really it's discussions about 'hot spots' and statistics. Further to that, don't be afraid to change courses/paths if you do realise what you've chosen isn't what you expected. Persevere for a while but don't waste your time doing something you really have no interest in.

everyone is stupid at 16. even you.
you'll look back and cringe at many of your tweeny/teen moments. so don't go and think you're such hot shit.

be nicer to your parents, for the most part.

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Your parents won't be around forever, enjoy them while you have them no matter how bad you think they are, you'll wish they were around when they are gone.