- I wish I had studied abroad – At the time I thought I would be missing out on my college friends and social life, and wasn’t ready to be so independent. It wasn’t until my senior year that I felt “ready” and at my undergraduate institution, we had to complete our last year on-campus. Looking back I regret not taking advantage of this once in a lifetime experience.
- I wish I had started exploring careers earlier – I didn’t start thinking about internships, or what I wanted to do with my life, until the end of junior year. If had started my exploration sooner I might have been able to go straight to graduate school rather than waitressing for a year while I compiled and submitted my applications.
- I wish I had read my assignments more thoroughly – I mastered the art of reading for the seminar/paper in my undergrad rather than reading to learn. I took some really interesting courses that I wish I had spent more time truly delving into the material. As cheesy as it sounds I’ve recently started revisiting some of the novels that were assigned for my women and gender studies and sociology courses that I previously just scanned. The books are so interesting and now I wish I had classmates reading along with me so that we could have follow-up discussions.
Despite my “regrets,” I wouldn’t give up my undergraduate experience for anything. Even as I write my loan payments to Great Lakes each month, I am eternally grateful for the knowledge, friends, and experiences gained during this formative period of my life.
