Your biggest undergraduate regret

<p>Ha! I went to the career center looking for jobs every year. They were useless. That how I got a jobs one summer shelving library books and cleaning houses. (And most of my friends weren’t finding much better options.)</p>

<p>I regret not studying abroad for a semester. I had the opportunity, but I was afraid to “miss something” at school.</p>

<p>I regret not studying domestically (let alone abroad) for several semesters. :)</p>

<p>And I actually do regret it. I have lots of advice for new college students on how to avoid digging academic holes for yourself.</p>

<p>Well I certainly should have studied harder 1st term freshman year. But my BIG regret is not following those two Australian girls to Dublin on the Bangor ferry when invited to join them in their travels, summer of 1989. Sigh…</p>

<p>I went to University for my first semester, left and went to CC for two. If I could go back I would have just gone straight to CC and foregone that first semester at University at all. That was 6K that didn’t need to be spent. </p>

<p>Other than that, I double majored to try to try to create a reasonable major for what I wanted to study, I might have looked better into one of those “create your own major” things, though that’s not really a regret, just something I might have done differently. I took a lot of classes that provided no value to me at all except for the fact that they were necessary for the major. </p>

<p>I really liked Philosophy, Economics, and Math, but I only took enough classes in those to fill my Humanities, Social Science, and a Math minor (only 3 classes) respectively. I can’t say I regret it because I only took enough to make sure I graduated quickly which wasn’t necessarily a bad move, but it would have been nice to take more of what I like. </p>

<p>I wish I had gotten the drudgery out of the way first, and saved the fun and excitement for middle age (instead of the other way around).</p>

<p>I wish I studied abroad. At least for a semester, if not a whole year.</p>

<p>One of my biggest regrets was not focusing on opportunities outside of the classroom and the future after graduating. For example, while in college I didn’t contact the career center, academic advisers, or anyone to discuss my plans after graduating. At the time, I did not know that internships were common or desirable for engineering students, so I did not apply for any. I did have a part time job at a tech company while I was a student, but did not take it as seriously as I could, always putting my academics and anything related to classes far above anything related to job performance. There were also many opportunities on campus including social, research, and organizational, among others. After having left campus, I came to see how unique and valuable these opportunities were.</p>

<p>The other big regret was not pursuing an offer to become one of the first employees of a start-up that now has a net income of billions per year. At the time, I thought much more highly of the typical big name tech companies than an unknown start-up founded by a few students on campus.</p>

<p>I wish I had not been as frugal. Also would have been better off not being so gung ho Chemistry so I was in that track instead of just the major- would have started the organic series in step with friends with same major- hindsite is wonderful! Looking back I know I could have done more but at that time I was ready to finish and go onwards. I am so happy I was able to live on campus instead of commuting. </p>

<p>For decades, I regretted not applying to that Ivy. A very savvy GC had told me I didn’t have the stuff. Thing is, I didn’t exactly, as a hs senior. But for the person I turned out to be, I know I would have flourished there. So, the regret about how at least I should have tried, how it would have been better to be rejected than wonder. And, in one of those twists of fate, I wound up working for the school, which added irony.</p>

<p>A few years ago (yes, this late,) I realized how silly it all was. I had gotten my notions from a college guide, never asked to be put on a mailing list (those were the days,) never visited, never even asked to visit. In that one shake of my head, the regrets went away. Such is life.</p>

<p>And no, I don’t think kids should apply just in case lightning strikes. </p>

<p>When studying abroad, I went on the trip to Stratford Upon Avon. We stopped in the pub for dinner and drinks before the Shakespeare play…but another pint of Guiness and some cute guys at the bar distracted us from making it to the theater. Cute guys didn’t work out. Guiness was disgusting. Shoulda stuck with the Bard.</p>

<p>I too wish I would’ve studied abroad and attended more cultural events on campus. </p>

<p>Wish I had chosen a different major. Never really wanted to major in Nursing. My Dad died just before the end of my 6th grade year. Mom’s bookkeeper job and Social Security kept us going. So when I reached college age, she stressed that I should choose a major that could be used anywhere in the country and make a good enough living to be self-sufficient. I didn’t want to be a school teacher so that left nursing. </p>

<p>I put so much pressure on myself to succeed that I made myself sick a lot, I wish I had relaxed and had more fun.</p>

<p>I’m about to graduate, and while I love my major, I wish I’d doubled up with Anthropology or Linguistics – I just find them so interesting and I’m sad I only took a couple classes in those departments.</p>

<p>I wish I had gone to med school. Every year when we dissect cats in my class it makes me wish I was a surgeon.</p>

<p>My biggest regret was not walking across the stage for graduation. I went to a big school and the ceremony didn’t mean anything to me, but now that I’m a parent I see the selfishness of my ways. </p>

<p>Being in a 7 year medical program! It was pleasant enough (at an IVY) but if I hadn’t done that, I would have explored more options and found a discipline and career that I was better suited for and passionate about.</p>

<p>@milkweed: Did you end up going to Med School and becoming a doctor?</p>

<p>My biggest regret is that I did not take the hypothetical course that my uncle (a college professor) said I must take. His advice to me when I was a senior in high school was this. “When you’re in college you’re going to hear about some course, some professor that all students rave about as inspirational. This course may not be in your major. You may not expect to get a high grade in it. But TAKE THAT COURSE. You’ll remember a course taught by a charismatic teacher long after you graduate.” My course not taken was really in in an odd field, Calligraphy! The instructor was Lloyd Reynolds. <a href=“Lloyd J. Reynolds - Wikipedia”>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_J._Reynolds&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;