Before animating, you should learn to pose and do renders even if they are bad.
Animators are often lazy and leave out important details, spending years of refinement on meager gains. You can do better than them with one simple trick: Focus only on creating good poses.

You should usually be rotating the clavicle bone slightly downwards, bending the knees slightly, posing the finger bones and adjusting the facial expression before you begin. This will make your pose look more relaxed.

Turn to the real world for reference. Recreate scenes from an anime. Spend a lot of time making sure that the TF2 Spy's revolver is being properly held and not clipping into his hand. Spend time making sure feet and toes are flush with the ground. Download tools to bone manipulate off of the garry's mod workshop.

Any animation which neglects to do these things will look stilted and unfinished, so make a habit of this early.

Learn to pose, and you will know how to make a good animation when you learn keyframes.

When they ask you what electives you want to do, pick what you want to do even if you are told it is stupid, useless, a waste of your time, or an easy grade. You will regret every class you do not take later in life.

Join an after school club or activity. Do that instead of Garry's Mod.

Do not date or agree to date anyone you encounter online.

Do not install instagram.

Your assignment is due a day earlier than you think it is. Stop reading this and go check before you continue any further.

Welcome back. Always double check your due dates.

Start an essay 4 weeks in advance if you can help it. Write one single paragraph to start. That's all of 4 sentences.

The food is the cheapest thing up there. Eat plenty of it.

Do not drink alcohol.

Do not trust anyone you encounter on the internet.

Do not buy cosmetic skins. The game will shut down it's servers in a few years, and you will lose everything.

Do not return console games or sell old consoles to the game store. You will regret this.

Smile, even if you do not feel happy.

Draw, write, or make music.
Even if you suck, you should be creating content at most times in your life.

The brain is most malleable during times of great sadness or anger, depression, stress or rage.
When you feel this way, whether it is a bad breakup or a game that is too difficult, it is the best time to create a new thing or learn a new skill.

It is best to listen to or watch informative videos during these periods rather than try to do something new. Feeling like you have failed will make you perform worse.

When you make a mistake people will say it's your fault, so why would you make a mistake just because of someone else?
You may not know everything, but you can always learn more. Trust your own judgement. Nothing else matters.

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