What regrets do you have about your own college experience?

[Anonymous]

PP here. I have to add, and I wish OP had included this in their post - the BEST part of college was having paid for it (in its entirety) and gone through the entire process myself - truly priceless.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t take my junior year abroad. My SLAC had outstanding programs, and I should have stayed with a language to go live abroad and immerse myself in a culture and language. It’s one of the few regrets I have in life.

[Anonymous]

Wish I had
- drank less
- partied less
- done less drugs
- gotten into therapy asap for all the above and more issues
- gone to a smaller school with more structure (as my college guidance counselor had originally advised but I had ignored)
- spent freshman year actually taking different classes to figure out what I might be interested in versus the major I declared from the get go
- I wish I had a more wholesome perspective that college is not an answer to life’s problems and the light at the end of the tunnel. That instead college is life continued and the struggles continue as well. I was way over fed messaging that college was the end all be all of all effort. That combined with pre-existing issues I had developed and not properly treated in high school led to a really tumultuous college experience. All worked out in the long run but it was a long long run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a huge flagship state school. I hated it. I have siblings who went to smaller universities and had a much more positive college experience - both in instruction quality, attention to students, and making close friendships.

I went to a huge flagship state school and adored it. I came from the boonies and I embraced the big, wide world with open arms. So many opportunities, so many majors and classes, so many sources of info. I earned two major scholarships while there that sent me abroad including a Fulbright. It was awesome. I did learn that I'm not a person who enjoys sharing a bedroom.

Same here. I remember being very scared to go to the huge school but took a chance and am SO glad I did. Everything you said!

[Anonymous]

Should have given up on pre med / med school earlier instead of suffering through so much chemistry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I regret staying with my high school boyfriend as long as I did. It kept me from really plugging-in socially until late in my Jr year and by my Sr year I really didn't want to graduate b/c I was living my best social life, whereas most of my peers had btdt and were ready to move on.

I also totally regret not studying abroad because of that same boyfriend. Nice guy, but sheesh, I knew I couldn't see myself marrying him so I'm not sure what I was thinking outside of wanting to avoid the pain of a break-up

+100
Exact same experiences. I kick myself now for not studying abroad and for staying with the boyfriend. What a waste.

[Anonymous]

I wish the college psychiatrist had properly diagnosed me.

[Anonymous]

I wish I'd been able to afford going full-time all four years. I commuted to UMCP for the first two years & then had to work full-time and go to night school for four more years. I don't mind not having lived on campus, but I regret the stress from never being able to participate fully in college while holding down a daytime job. I was perpetually exhausted.

I also wish I'd been able to study abroad, but that wasn't possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always tell kids headed off to college - any college -- to take advantage of the opportunities that are available at a college campus. They rarely come around later in life. Go see plays and concerts - student productions can be great, but also many professionals go through as well. Keep an eye on the student newspaper and go hear the talk given by the Secretary of Education or whatever. When will you be able to do that again?

I graduated on time and with a good gpa from a Big10 school.
I played IM sports, went to football games, had friends and met my wife, but did very little else additional until my Senior year when I suddenly woke up and realized that there was a world of things going on right near me, and at no or very low cost. Ahhhhh.

I agree with above. Instead I joined a sorority, spent all my time at frat parties I didn't even really enjoy, drinking gross beer, and tanked my gpa. Serious waste of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I too wish I would have finished my honors program. It required a thesis, and I was bad at writing and didn’t know how to research. I wish I would have asked for more help/advice. Had I done so, I might be a PhD economist today. Also, I wish I would have taken more initiative to get involved. I was a smart, introverted kid without good role models regarding discipline and hard work. I’ve done fine professionally, but I think I could have excelled.

Wish you had. Not wish you "would have."

[Anonymous]

I wish I had gone to a college out of state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had chosen different friends.

Me too. I wished I hadn't kept hanging out with the people I roomed with freshman year. None of them do I have any interest in seeing again.

[Anonymous]

I went to a large state flagship in the midwest. Mostly a bunch of beer fueled nights spent at bars with people I barely knew, again and again for three years. It was ok. So glad I studied abroad junior year, easily the best year. Was later inspired after this year to move away after graduation and start over on the west coast. Only regret is my major, wish I had better information at the time or more guidance. I really had no idea what options I had or what various career paths could look like.

[Anonymous]

Not a single thing.

Go Dukes!

[Anonymous]

I wish I had access to ADHD meds, a therapist and some mentors. I was a high achieving student who memorized and regurgitated, didn't have financial resources or female role models and thought getting married and having kids was most important goal.