---
id: "52c716fd7d124b5bdaa77a3a"
lang: "en"
title: "9 Things I Wish I Could Tell My 15-Year-Old Self"
slug: "things-i-wish-i-could-tell-my-15-year-old-self"
date: "2026-09-04"
updated: "2022-11-22"
author: "lyndsie-robinson"
category: "teen"
tags: ["15 year old self", "bad boy", "brand new relationships", "god awful hormones", "high school", "lovely young women", "pretty great childhood", "real friends", "younger self"]
image: "https://img.allw.mn/thumb/0ca0884af9742e5b7907091e2c56c1_1080x1080.jpg"
summary: "I'll never deny that I had a pretty great childhood but puberty was sort of a bitch, and there are especially things I wish I could tell my 15-year-old self. That was a particular hard year because…"
source: "https://teen.allwomenstalk.com/things-i-wish-i-could-tell-my-15-year-old-self/"
---
I'll never deny that I had a pretty great childhood but puberty was sort of a bitch, and there are especially things I wish I could tell my 15-year-old self. That was a particular hard year because it felt like I hated everything: school; my parents; my friends; and myself. To me, 15 and 19 seemed like transition years; there's something about those sophomore years, don't you think? Your mileage may vary, but I think this is a hard year for everyone, so see if you agree with my version of the things I wish I could tell my 15-year-old self that might have made the year go by a little smoother.

## 1. This Too Shall Pass

This is such a simple idea, but it can get you through so many rough patches. It's one of the most fundamental things I wish I could tell my 15-year-old self because it holds true for so many of the hard things you go through during those transitional ages. I'd love to tell myself that puberty will pass, that sophomore year will definitely pass, and that high school itself will pass. It's all transitory, mere moments in time that seem horrible, yes, but also have the power to make you stronger – even if you're dealing with bullies, the mean girls, or the feeling of being an outsider, peering in from the fringe.

## 2. It's Not Them, It's You

I fought with everyone when I was 15. I have an excellent relationship with my parents, for instance; I had a great relationship with them when I was 14 and things went more or less back to normal when I turned 16, but at 15, they could do no right. The same was true for my teachers, a big deal when you consider that I tended to get along better with my favorite teachers than I did with some of my peers. Everyone rubs you the wrong way at this stage in your life, but guess what? It's not them. It's you. It's not necessarily your fault, but it is your issue. It's hard to realize that at the time, but once you have some perspective, you'll notice that your parents, teachers, and friends weren't changing. You were.

## 3. It's Not You, It's Him

What is it about puppy love at 15? Maybe it's all the Shakespeare you end up reading in your English classes. Maybe it's those god awful hormones. It's the agony and the ecstasy of love that isn't really love, and it's the one time in your life when you're more apt to fall for exactly the wrong guy. At 15 I had an incredible circle of friends, consisting of two boys and one girl, but things began to change. I was still struggling hardcore with my sexuality and natural inclinations, and naturally fell for the bad boy, mainly because he knew exactly how to prey on my vulnerabilities. The nice guy in my circle, of course, was crazy about me – and my bad boy fed on that too. If you found yourself in some up-and-down, topsy-turvy situation at 15 too, it very likely wasn't you. It was him.

## 4. Everybody Fails Sometimes