A TikTok posted by @zaniya.g on September 1 shows the creator, known online as Zan, sharing advice she wishes someone had told her in high school as part three of an ongoing series. The video had drawn 14,600 likes, 108 comments, 3,063 saves, and 4,021 shares as of publication.
Zan says people are only teenagers for seven years, from age 13 to 20, but adults for the rest of their lives, so she encourages viewers to start handling responsibilities like calling doctors, making appointments, and picking up prescriptions early. She says getting comfortable with uncomfortable conversations now will make adulthood easier later.
She tells viewers to face their fears directly, saying if someone is afraid of the dark, they should work on confronting that fear. She says building resilience by confronting fears will make self-confidence "skyrocket," and that showing up for yourself repeatedly proves you're capable of anything you put your mind to.
Zan recommends spending five minutes a day sitting in front of a mirror and honestly evaluating whether the person looking back is someone to be proud of, someone making progress each day and building toward their goals. If the answer isn't yes, they need to take steps encouraging them towards their goals, such as packing a gym bag the night before or filling a water cup before bed.
@zaniya.g once you hit 18, everyone has the same standards for you as if you are a seasoned adult. learn to be a grown up prior to then and you’ll be UNSTOPPABLE ! #fyp #highschooltips #highschool
♬ original sound - zan ?
She discusses the difficulty of maintaining friendships into adulthood, saying her own friends have moved away, started families, or gotten married, and she hasn't always been the friend she wanted to be. She said she went through a period of emotional distance and stepped away from social media, which affected some of those friendships, adding, "It is what it is at this point in my life."
She ends the video by urging the viewers to be kind, saying it will take a person further than being mean or popular.
Commenters largely agreed with the advice, though some pushed back on its framing. One wrote, "Exactly. None of it is so hard that they can't learn it easily."
Another argued that teenagers should prioritize enjoying their youth over learning adult responsibilities. They wrote, "they have the rest of their lives to learn, I want them to be carefree and have fun. enjoy life, their youth before life brings them down. some things are more important then [sic] learning how to open a checking account."
Zan encourages viewers to build an intentional nighttime routine, including preparing outfits and skincare items in advance, so the next day starts more smoothly. She says how a person presents themselves, regardless of personal style, reflects how much effort they put into other areas of their life, and that people notice the difference between someone who takes care of themselves and someone who doesn't.
Another commenter shared a personal reflection on instilling similar values in her daughter. They wrote, "hey so i did this with my oldest. she doesnt need me for anything and im sad for me but so happy for her. [sic]"
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the personal details described in this video, including the creator's friendships and past experiences. The details above reflect the TikTok creator's video as shared on TikTok.
