What regrets do you have about your own college experience?

[Anonymous]

I wish I had studied abroad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had studied abroad.

DH says the same and he has said it more than once to our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to my VERY large state flagship school on a sports scholarship (D-1). It was awesome until I sustained a major injury that forced me to quit the team. My life had always been structured around studying and sports. Playing on a team that practiced from 6am to noon everyday (and then late afternoon practices) forced me to focus on study (we also had a huge team of counselors and tutors to help us), Once I was done with sports (because of my injury) I had so much free time I didn't know what to do with it. I partied too hard and paid the price (grade wise}. My regret is thinking that my sport would get me though college. When it went to hell, I wasn't prepared to do college level work on my own - non assisted. I wish I would have known what I know today.

The good news is I survived. As will all the kids from private school (mine included) who were rejected or waitlisted, and those waiting on RD decisions. Life is tough. Even if you work hard, nothing is given to you.

Off point from the original poster, college was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned failure, success, and having to get up when you are down. I learned more from interacting with a broad range of students than any book I nave ever read or any course that I took in college. In my personal opinion, let your kids decide where to go to school (obviously based on where they were accepted). Trust your kids. They will make mistakes but we all do!

This post demonstrates why certain sectors like to hire athletes - they know failure and how to regroup after that to succeed.

[Anonymous]

I went to NYU. Would not recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to NYU. Would not recommend.

Live in NYC and don't rec it to anybody save for those for who money is no issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to my VERY large state flagship school on a sports scholarship (D-1). It was awesome until I sustained a major injury that forced me to quit the team. My life had always been structured around studying and sports. Playing on a team that practiced from 6am to noon everyday (and then late afternoon practices) forced me to focus on study (we also had a huge team of counselors and tutors to help us), Once I was done with sports (because of my injury) I had so much free time I didn't know what to do with it. I partied too hard and paid the price (grade wise}. My regret is thinking that my sport would get me though college. When it went to hell, I wasn't prepared to do college level work on my own - non assisted. I wish I would have known what I know today.

The good news is I survived. As will all the kids from private school (mine included) who were rejected or waitlisted, and those waiting on RD decisions. Life is tough. Even if you work hard, nothing is given to you.

Off point from the original poster, college was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned failure, success, and having to get up when you are down. I learned more from interacting with a broad range of students than any book I nave ever read or any course that I took in college. In my personal opinion, let your kids decide where to go to school (obviously based on where they were accepted). Trust your kids. They will make mistakes but we all do!

This post demonstrates why certain sectors like to hire athletes - they know failure and how to regroup after that to succeed.

+1

This is something you can't see on an ACT score. Continued effort even after losing and losing again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: In my personal opinion, let your kids decide where to go to school (obviously based on where they were accepted). Trust your kids. They will make mistakes but we all do!

I agree the bolded is important. If they try to go somewhere they have been rejected, the police can get involved etc.

[Anonymous]

Wish I had been more outgoing and gotten involved in more activities. Probably could have smoked a little less weed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had studied abroad.

This. But my family really didn't have the extra money.

Also, I transferred from a more prestigious to a less prestigious school not because I wasn't successful at the former (I was) but because I was socially miserable. If I had hung onto the better school, I have no doubts I would be making far more money than I do now. Not that money is everything, but in retrospect I would have sacraficed my social life for three more years.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had picked a more useful major than Communications.

[Anonymous]

Add me to the list of people who wish they had studied abroad. No one in my family had done it and my college was even a stretch financially. I’m happy my child has expressed interest and we can make that happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is small compared to other things listed here but I wish my late mom had been able to visit more. I was a plane ride away (or a 10-12 hour drive) and she had health issues of her own plus caregiver obligations that meant she couldn't visit me at college beyond driving there with me one of the four falls I went back, and coming to graduation. She loved to travel and would have really enjoyed the area, getting to know the campus, seeing what I was doing, meeting my friends (she was always so sweetly interested in my friends at college). I know, not at all a serious issue like picking the wrong college or wrong major or drinking etc., but it's what comes to mind. I loved my college, classes (mostly!) and friends but wish I'd been able to share it more with the person who made it all possible for me.

No, this is SO sweet. My dad used to come visit, just for the occasional lunch (I was about 2 hours away from home) and I loved it.

[Anonymous]

I went to an elite national school. I wish I had taken more advantage of all the opportunities, gone to profs' office hours and gotten to know them, taken more smaller classes and seminars instead of large 101 classes. Wish I had studied abroad and regret staying with high school boyfriend.

[Anonymous]

Probably shouldn't have drank so much.

[Anonymous]

I didn't go away to college. Commuted to a local university. I'm happy my son is ready to go away for school.