Houshyar Azadeh - 97 Things to Do Before You Finish High School

This is the best time of your life or so people keep telling you. But then, those same people tell you to clean your room, be home before 10, work on the weekends, and hand in 20-page research papers. Uh, OK.

Whether or not you think this is the best time of your life (and the truth is, for most people, it keeps getting better), it is a unique time. As a teenager, you have the capacity to learn anything you want at a speed much faster than people who are only five years older, and your curiosity and insightfulness are at an all-time high.

So, what to do? Well, you can't stop doing the things you have to do. School, home, family: These are all aspects of basic life maintenance. But how you spend your free time well, that's a different story. This book is about all of the things they don't teach you at home or in class, like the right way to throw a party, how to take a killer road trip, the best ways to get your bod in shape, and how to protect the environment (better than your parents did). 97 Things also includes great stuff to do that is off the beaten path, like DJing, writing your own manifesto, and even understanding the stock market.

There is a lot in here, and clearly you don't have to do it all. Pick and choose what speaks to you. Go chronologically or flip through. Read the book alone and set goals, or page through it with friends and make plans to do stuff together. Most important, use it to get ideas about how you want to spend your time and who you want to be. Because you're only young once and it happens to be now.

F ace it your bedroom is the only place you can call your own. It should reflect your ideology, personality, and charm. But who chose the furniture, wallpaper, and paint? Were these stylistic atrocities forced on you by clueless decorators whose ideas of cool were ballerina figurines and tiger-striped throw pillows? Reclaim this precious space by redecorating. All it takes to transform your bedroom is some ingenuity and a little (very little) cash. Even if a complete overhaul isn't possible right now, you can style your space with personal touches to make it unmistakably yours.

First, clean up. It's a drag, but that's the only way to get a good look at the space. To redesign, you need some room to experiment. Free up space by moving out things you no longer want or need. (Keep your out pile around until you are totally finished because you may re-use that stuff for other purposes.)

Once you have a partially blank slate, start putting your stamp on your stomping grounds. Think about who you are, and make your design reflect that person. If you're a sports nut, pick out memorabilia from your favorite team. Music lovers can frame old record albums and create a grid of classic covers. Maps of the world and a cool collection of international postcards work for travel lovers and adventure seekers.

After redecorating, revisit the stuff you took out. Can you do something to wake up that old bookshelf or nightstand? Try throwing colorful fabrics on chipped tabletops, or sanding and staining old furniture to make it look new.

When you're done, responsibly throw away, donate, sell, or recycle whatever you can't use.

Now, your room is your own personal creative space and the refuge from the outside world that it is supposed to be!

An Exercise in Compromise

If you share a room with a brother or sister, one option is to join forces and come up with a decorating plan that both of you can live with. But if compromise is impossible (you're all about death metal and your sib's got a thing for pink, or vice versa), just concentrate on making your half of the room a space you can truly call your own.

D oes the term collector bring to mind that weird old lady down the street whose house is overflowing with old phonebooks, vintage cat toys, and dustballs galore? Her collections may be an overgrown mess, but don't let that deter you from starting your own. Collections can actually be cool if they are artful and well-maintained. It's really just a way to surround yourself with the things you love. And, if those things increase in value as time goes by, they can turn into an excellent investment. Original Natas skateboard decks from the 80s now sell for thousands of dollars, and classic Barbie dolls pull in hundreds. Whether you're into lunch boxes, snow globes, or random things with penguins on them, building a collection will send you on a rewarding quest that can never be completed. Of course, completion is not the point. The fun is in the endless search for those last three Buffy the Vampire Slayer action figures missing from the lineup on your desk.

Begin by surveying your possessions if you have three or more of a certain type of object, you already have the makings of a collection. Do some investigating. What about a drawer filled with classic Hello Kitty stationery or that box full of original Hellboy comic books? Make sure you go with something you love that's both accessible and affordable. Mint-condition LPs from legendary indie labels like Rawkus Records or Sub Pop will feed your music fix and look great framed and hung on the wall. Old-school video game accessories and vintage jeans make for both quirky and functional collections, as do items from nature such as abalone shells (which can double as jewelry holders). When starting any collection, consider space you don't want to gather a ton of musical instruments and then realize you have no room to store them. And be selective. If that Mavericks cap isn't in pristine condition, hold out for one that is. Keeping high standards will keep your collections streamlined which will keep you from ending up like that lady down the street.

Online Buying

If you haven't yet been sucked into eBay, check it out for items to add to your collection. But keep in mind: