HELPFUL HINTS

Dear FutureMe, I would like to think that you have now passed your year eleven exams with a flourish. I would also like to think that your year twelve physics has started out with a better mark than year eleven. It would also be rather nice if you have sorted out what university you are going to go to by now. Or, you know, at least have decided what country you're going to be in. Hopefully you will have read a lot more about music, feminism, politics, and will vote correctly in the next federal election. (N.B - also make sure you have by now found out WHEN the election is (or was) on. Thanks.) You will by now, of course, have come out to a few people. Hopefully your parents. And maybe a couple of good friends. Nice, but not necessary. You will not have been shy about this, I hope. It would be freaking awesome if you had made it to the end of Great Expectations, and possibly written a story over 500 words long. As for what you are now. I hope you have changed. Not too much. I want your confidence levels to go up (because really, who can't love you?) and you to have sorted out which of your qualities are good and which are bad. Not find out which ones are both good and bad, which is all I seem capable of right now. Also, please tell me you have cleaned under your bed. If not, go do it now. It would also be kinda cool if you'd managed to tell the people you hate that you hate them, and the people you're crushing on that you're crushing on them. Just a thought. You'll be seventeen by now, and trust me, nothing worse or more complicated could happen to you in the next year than it has already in this. Your brother will be twelve. Give the boy some respect, he's a nice bloke, really, and he loves you too much for you to keep teasing him. I know you're going to think that I'm only sixteen - so what can I know? But listen to me. Don't forget that though you (I?) have already figured these things out, you won't be doing all of them. You'll have forgotten some. STUDY YOUR ASS OFF THIS YEAR, MY LOVE! PASS YOUR EXAMS, AND YOU'LL BE OUT OF FREAKING SCHOOL FOREVER! Won't that feel rather nice?