Nine Things to Do in Your 20s

They say youth is wasted on the young — don’t be that chick.

Go Hard - They say youth is wasted on the young — don’t be that chick. Take advantage of your age and do these things before you hit the big 3-0. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel (Photo: Zave Smith/Corbis)

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Go Hard - They say youth is wasted on the young — don’t be that chick. Take advantage of your age and do these things before you hit the big 3-0. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel (Photo: Zave Smith/Corbis)

Find a Mentor - Connect with someone who has some aspect of character that you aspire to have. It doesn’t have to be about your career — you can learn so much more from a well-matched mentor than interview advice. Look within your company, your neighborhood, the industry associations you’ve joined, or even your family. (Photo: Tim Pannell/Corbis)

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Find a Mentor - Connect with someone who has some aspect of character that you aspire to have. It doesn’t have to be about your career — you can learn so much more from a well-matched mentor than interview advice. Look within your company, your neighborhood, the industry associations you’ve joined, or even your family. (Photo: Tim Pannell/Corbis)

Play a Team Sport - It’s more about camaraderie than skill — it’s hard to make new friends after college. Plus, you’ll get great, fun exercise. You can find folks who get together to do everything from playing kickball to skating. MeetUp.com is a good place to start.  (Photo: Fab Fernandez/Corbis)

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Play a Team Sport - It’s more about camaraderie than skill — it’s hard to make new friends after college. Plus, you’ll get great, fun exercise. You can find folks who get together to do everything from playing kickball to skating. MeetUp.com is a good place to start.  (Photo: Fab Fernandez/Corbis)

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Travel - Whether you hit the road or hop aboard a plane, now is the time to take the trips you’ve dreamed of on whatever budget you have now. You’ll learn about other cultures and yourself. Bonus points for getting multiple passport stamps.  (Photo: MistikaS/GettyImages)

Don't Hide Your True Self - Sometimes we are so afraid that if we share our opinions or feelings on certain issues, we will be unfairly labeled as the “Angry Black Woman.” So we shrink ourselves to be agreeable and fit in. But if you are doing this, he’s only liking your representative, not the real you. (Photo: Christopher Weidlich/Corbis)

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Love Your Body - No matter how tiny, big, fit or, um unfit it is, now is the time to learn how to accept and love your body for what it is. It will go through many changes as the years fly by, but taking the time to appreciate all the things it does for you every day will sustain you, no matter how your reflection looks. (Christopher Weidlich/Corbis)

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Give Back - Balancing out all of your self-indulgent summertime fun with some volunteer work will help to keep you from feeling a little selfish this month. Every city has a number of opportunities to make a difference and pay it forward.(Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez/Corbis)

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Volunteer - Find a cause that resonates with you and dedicate your time to it on a regular basis. You’ll have a purpose beyond yourself — and giving feels good.  (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez/Corbis)

Janelle Monáe - Janelle Monáe’s The Electric Lady album had her rubbing elbows with the All-Star likes of Prince, Erykah Badu and Miguel. And Ms. Monáe more than held her own. Work of art. (Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

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Go to an Outdoor Music Festival - Get thee to Made in America, Coachella, Bonnaroo or Governors Ball, ASAP. By the time you reach your thirties, you might not be about that Port-A-Potty life, so go enjoy yourself (along with thousands of other music lovers) now. (Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

Be an Active Reader - When you are reading, don’t just read. Take notes, highlight passages, write summaries of your chapters and use Post-It notes. The more you are engaged, the more you learn. (Photo: JGI/Daniel Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Learn a New Language - From Spanish to coding, commit yourself to either making yourself fluent in the language you studied in high school or learning another.  (Photo: JGI/Daniel Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

Do Something Different With Your Hair - Whether you return to your natural texture, chop it all off, or dye it bright red (if you can get away with that at work) don’t be afraid to change it up. Though America likes to politicize Black women’s tresses, you’ll learn a very important lesson: It’s just hair. (Photo: B. Austin/Corbis)

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Do Something Different With Your Hair - Whether you return to your natural texture, chop it all off, or dye it bright red (if you can get away with that at work) don’t be afraid to change it up. Though America likes to politicize Black women’s tresses, you’ll learn a very important lesson: It’s just hair. (Photo: B. Austin/Corbis)

Do Something Scary - Whether that means riding a roller coaster or jumping out of a plane, try something that freaks you out. You might like it! And if you don’t, at least you tried.  (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

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Do Something Scary - Whether that means riding a roller coaster or jumping out of a plane, try something that freaks you out. You might like it! And if you don’t, at least you tried.  (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)