Your teenage years provide some of the best opportunities to learn new things and gain experience before you step into adulthood. If you’re turning 20 soon, or want to get a head start, the following are 10 things you should do before your years as a teenager end.

1.Learn How to Drive

Driving means you can have the freedom to travel and explore on your own. It also means you have greater job opportunities, as you can drive out to destinations you may not have considered before. If you’re already on the edge of 20 and don’t think you have enough time to get this done, you can look into an intensive course for learning how to drive, which could have you out on the roads after just 5-12 days.

2. Travel

Pack your bags and travel to somewhere you’ve never been before. Many preach the importance of traveling young because of the independence, experience and growth it will provide for you. Not only this, but once you go away to university or get a full-time job, you may not have the time to go out and explore.

3.Vote

Whether we like it or not, politics is an integral part of society. It’s highly important that young people stay educated and go out and vote, so that they can be a part of their future. Ensure you’re registered to vote and take part once the next election comes around. You can also get involved in your local political scene.

4. Learn another Language

Being able to speak and understand another language is a very desirable skill to have. It will not only help you in job applications, but also when travelling and meeting people from different cultures. There may be a class you could sign up for at school, or you could get online lessons. There are numerous helpful resources out there for you to take advantage of.

5. Take Part in a Student Exchange Program

Every culture has their own unique ways of interacting with each other and if you want to travel and get a job going to other countries, you’ll need to learn about how different cultures work and behave. Sometimes, even the most innocent of actions can be insulting to a person from another culture because you are not aware of their sensitivities.

One of the best ways to learn about other cultures when you are young is to take part in a student exchange program. This will also help you learn another language.

6. Experience Different Foods as You Travel

Although this may not be a vitally important thing to do, it’s more enjoyable! Expand the types of foods you eat so you can get further out of your comfort zone as you travel. Food can be uniquely cultural and each culture uses spices, meats, produce, and seafood in special ways that can bring joy to your palate. Whilst you’re at it, you could also learn to cook some of this cuisine.

7. Open a Bank Account

One of the most important skills you are going to have to learn as an adult is how to manage your personals finances. You need to learn how to use debit and credit cards and you’re going to need a place to receive income once you’re working. The best way to learn finance skills is by actually managing your money by yourself and learning how to work with a bank.

8. Get a Part Time Job

Working not only provides you with a bit of extra cash, but also independence and experience. Even if it’s just working a few hours at your local store, your future employers will be looking out for individuals who have already experienced the working world.

9. Volunteer

Similarly, volunteer work also looks extremely good on your CV. It will provide you with extra experience and will say a lot about you as an individual. Volunteer work can also be extremely rewarding, so look at what’s available in your area.

10. Get an Internship/Experience

Find a place where you can intern at that does something you think you’ll want to do as an adult. This way you can find out first-hand about the type of work they actually do every day. You may find that what you think you have always wanted to do may turn out to be less appealing than you thought. Learning what you don’t want to do can be just as important as learning what you do want to do.

See how many of these you can accomplish before you turn 20!