Dear Me,

Dear 9-year-old Me,
At the moment, you are a big whale in a small fish pond. Next year, however, you are about to become a tadpole in a massive, pirhana-infested ocean. Don’t worry though, I’ve got some advice to make sure you’re not eaten.

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Firstly, some practical things. Get into Scratch; the sooner you start coding, the quicker you can move on to more advanced stuff. One day, you’ll become the Admin on the school website! Also, start learning and reading about HTML, it’s really useful and will help you code loads of things in the future.
As well as coding, have a go at different types of art – not just painting. Try Digital Art sooner, as well as other art forms like Drama. They’re really fun and help develop your creativity.

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Remember to be bold in making new friends, as well as making sure to keep in touch with old ones. If you lose those friendships, you won’t see them again until high school.
Be resiliant – don’t let setbacks get you down. Always stay positive and look on the bright side. Organisation is also key to success. Don’t leave things until the last minute, get everything done in good time and leave space for relaxation. Try to plan ahead, but be flexible – don’t plan your whole life out, things are always changing. On that note, embrace change. Don’t worry about things like your class, or being with different people. Change is good, and will help you become who you are in four years.

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Enjoy being young. Live in the moment. You’ll never have the same day twice, so make the most of everything and live life to its fullest. Don’t wish your years away.
And, probably the most important thing, stay positive. Positivity can solve almost anything. When something goes wrong, as long as you remember that everything will get better, you’ll feel good about yourself. Nothing can go wrong in your next four years that positivity can’t get you through.

From 13-year-old you