At the end of the school year, I asked adults what advice they would give to teens. I posted some of their remarks this spring.

The question I posed was:

“If I knew then what I know now … What advice would you give to a middle school kid about life, education or career?”

Now a new school year is beginning. Here is some more wisdom from professionals working in all types of jobs about choosing a career and the value of education.

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 Go for your dreams — You can always revise them later if you have to.

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Get involved in activities in and out of school to help prepare you for college (and make you a viable candidate for acceptance into a good college). Concentrate on your studies and do some volunteer or philanthropic work. You’d be surprised how volunteering for two hours a week somewhere can make you look so good on a college application.

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Everyone needs to become an entrepreneur. That means learning how to be an expert, how to sell, how to differentiate, how to take risks, how use social media, how to network.

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Believe in yourself. You are capable of more than you think. Explore your dreams, find out all you can. Try things out. Have fun.

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Work hard to get your (diploma). It will be SO much harder to do later. For most people, more and better qualifications (degrees) equals more and better choices.

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Get a good mentor early on in your career to advise you and to coach you. Always believe in your own strengths/skills, which you have. You know what they are. We all know our top few skills. Stay on the track of believing in those strengths and your own confidence. Stay far away from anyone who tries to keep you from doing that.

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 Read more. Readers become Rulers.

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Be yourself. Do the things you enjoy, learn about the things that interest you, and be confident in who you are. Don’t try to make yourself into a copy of someone else. You are wonderful as You.

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Always stay future-focused. Take those strides as a (freshman and sophomore) that will help you as a senior and eventual college-goer.

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Many teens today are so afraid of making a mistake that they don’t do anything.  “Failure” is a part of life … and can lead to great things.

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Join student groups, band or sports. You will learn to challenge yourself as well as the art of being a team member.

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Find something you are passionate about in the world (art, music, outdoors, people, technology, dance, writing, reading, science, etc.) and learn everything you can about that subject. Get into it! When you find your passion, you find your true self.And always remember that you can do anything you put your heart and soul into. Dare to dream.

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Take high school seriously upon entering the 9th grade.  It is hard to catch up once you fall behind.

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Listen to all who offer advice, but trust your own inner instincts when it comes to making decisions. You are responsible for your own life.

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Also from DeniseMpls:

• Advice To Teens Gets Personal
• How To Live A Life Worth Living
• 7 Ways To Have A Gold Medal Career
• Job Seekers: Do You Know Yourself?

Author Bio: Denise Felder  is a writer and career adviser encouraging everyday people to make positive life and career choices.