Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it.

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The worldwill expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be avice-president with a car phone, until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word forburger flipping - they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn fromthem.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got thatway from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are.So, before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousingthe closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers but life has not. In some schoolsthey have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the rightanswer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers areinterested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life (nor are video games). In real life people actually have to leavethe coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.