What's the one piece of advice you'd offer to yourself, 2.5 - 5 years ago?

[Orb]

3 years ago: Year 11, first 3/4 subjects

Screw the haters, hard work pays off, they'll be the ones admiring you in a few years

[gemmaruffin]

3 years ago, year 9!
Advice would be -
- don't worry about everyone else and what they think of you. Not everyone will like you, and that's ok! Just don't try to make something happen if its not reciprocal.
- don't complain that school is too easy - enjoy it before VCE hits you like a brick
- please please please don't even consider doing anything but Health as a 1/2 next year - it'll be the best choice you'll make thus far
- smile more
- you would have had your first job interview last week (i think). You get the job, and you'll enjoy it, but please save some money! Future you is trying to pay off a car here 
- Take time to do what you love - you have time.

[Bri MT]

5 years ago: Year 7 me had recently done an oral presentation on writing a letter to grade 6 me, which seems somewhat fitting.

Don't drop the effort. I know you had much higher expectations for highschool, it isn't going to be until VCE that you start learning new things at school but keep going.There's no reason at all to stop learning, even if teachers aren't providing you with the "advanced work" they said they would. Go online, start teaching yourself another language (doing Japanese at school doesn't count) before year 9 so you can learn more before VCE hits, actually prepare your speeches instead of skating by on the fact that you'll get good marks without trying, because that won't help you grow. Do some of the uni courses available online. There is heaps to learn and you are more than capable of learning it.

People will stop associating you with your family, it just takes time. Your efforts in bettering yourself do pay off, and there are tools to help you with productivity and mindset. No one is perfect, and no one has to be. You are not a disappointment to anyone, including your past or future selves. Don't hang your hopes on other people changing, you can't control that, only yourself, and even that takes time in addition to the effort. Sometimes it also takes time to put in the effort, and that's ok. The conflict isn't your fault, and you are never forced to leave. I still haven't figured out forgiveness yet, but you aren't as bad at it as you think, and not associating with people can be good.

Also, mum was wrong about vegetarianism being unhealthy.