15 Things You Should Do Before You Turn the Big 1-5

 Like a check-off list of to-do’s before your first date, or  a prerequisite exam before being accepted into a  university, there are certain things that need to be  taken care of before getting to your piece of the pie. Far  from choosing the perfect dress and choosing your  main chambelan, these 15 things that you should do  before turning 15 years old will remain with you long after the lights of your fiesta wear out.

1. Know how to cook/prepare a meal- It’s important for any human being-young or old, male or female- to know how to feed themselves. We’re not talking Top Chef culinary skills; skills a la Chef Boyardee will do just fine. The lesson to be learned here is that you won’t always have the luxury of having someone prepare a meal for you, so if worst comes to worst, you should be able to at least tear open a bag of instant soup to keep yourself alive. If you’ve got the chops and the desire to master the skills of a true cook, shadow the top chef in your family and learn the tools of the trade to preparing authentic home-style meals.

2. Read a book from beginning to end- This means a book other than one that was assigned to you by an instructor and a book with more text than illustrations. Reading not only improves your writing and vocabulary skills, but it also opens your mind to a broader world.

3. Know your family history- Record your family history either in a journal, on tape, or in any other format that can be preserved. Years down the road, you’ll be glad you did.

4. Try out for a team- You can pick up a lot of valuable traits from being in a team. Team work, responsibility, dependability and discipline are only some of those traits that you will carry with you out into the working world. So why not get ahead of the game now by joining either a sports team, a debate team, a dance team, or a leadership team in your school?

5. Make a four-year plan- Meet with your counselor or advisor and jot down the schedule of classes that you should take each high school year. Creating a high school academics plan will make it all the easier to breeze through high school with flying colors.

6. Learn to swim- It may not make any sense now, but when all your friends hit the beach or the nearest pool, you’d wish you’d be able to flipper around as well as they do. Check your local park for swimming lessons and get ready for a whole lot of water fun.

7. Get your first manicure/pedicure with your mom- there’s something truly special about sharing ‘your firsts’ with your mom, especially when they deal with young womanhood. Your first manicure and pedicure can be truly special if shared with her, especially if she’s never gotten one either. Imagine the fun in that!

8. Help someone in need- This can be as simple as helping a friend treat a breakup or helping an elderly cross the street. Doing many good deeds, and doing them often, will make the occasional good deed into a habit, and will ultimately make for a better you.

9. Go shopping for the perfect bra- Shopping for the perfect bra can be easy if someone who’s been there and done that accompanies you. Get professionally measured and try on various styles of brassieres. You’ll quickly learn that different styles serve different purposes. For example, there are bras that look best under tees and camis, others that go best with slip dresses, others that are so comfortable that you’d want to wear them all the time, and others that are strapless or that have straps that can over cross. There are infinite styles of bras so plan to spend some time trying them on and make sure that whomever accompanies you is as excited about the experience as you are, if not, the day could turn sour pretty quickly.

10. Buy your first pair of heels and practice walking in them- You’ll be using them a lot in the years ahead so you might as well start getting used to them now.

11. Take a dance class-With so many high school dances on your agenda, you’ll want to be able to get down on the dance floor with the rest of your friends. So if you’re feeling a bit self-conscious about your moves, there’s no better way to overcome that than by signing up for dance lessons and letting your foot get loose.

12. Visit different universities- Start visiting and getting familiar with different universities. In a couple of months you’ll be applying to some yourself so you’ll be one step ahead if you’ve taken the time to visit them and have narrowed down your choices.

13. Take a trip with your parents- Whether it’s to visit your family in a neighboring state or out of the country to visit the rest of your familia, take a trip with your parents and cherish every moment you have with them. Time flies, so you’ll be glad you did.

14. Learn the importance of hygiene and personal grooming- Mankind has evolved far too much to have you walking around like a cave man, so learn to take care of your hygiene by bathing regularly, brushing your teeth at least three times a day, wearing deodorant, getting your eyebrows done and keeping your nails clean. Also, there’s no need to go out into the world with bad locks. So make an appointment with a stylist of your choice and get a haircut that you’re comfortable with. You’ll be amazed at what a simple haircut and personal grooming can do.

15. Avoid serious relationships- It may seem like the cool thing to do since some of your friends may be in serious relationships themselves. But rather than spending all of your spare time on boys, try spending time with friends, family and yourself. Time for boy drama can come later in life, for now, focus on yourself and enjoy your youth for as long as you can.