No big ones. I wish I could take back some relationships but they probably helped me in ways I don't realize. I do regret not studying abroad. I did a semester in D.C. which helped me career wise and was fun but I wish I could have experienced a different culture.
I wish I had done a study abroad, or at least made an honest effort at living outside the northeast before I settled into the whole marriage and kids thing.
But for the most part, I think I took pretty good advantage of my freedom in my 20s.
I regret not doing a study abroad in college. I don't really have many other regrets bc they all just shaped who I am. But I lived alone, lived with guys, had my drunken years, had my sleeping around years, etc.
I'm sad that I only got my ms and didn't go back for my phd. But that wasn't really a choice I could have made at the time (fellowship in hand, dx with cancer -stay at a job with insurance or quit for a fellowship on 1/3 the income and no insurance).
The company I worked for in the early 90's closed their U.S. operations and moved to Mexico. I had a new job lined up and relocated to DC a week after I was released from the other company (we were given a ton of notice regarding the closure).
That's all good news but I wish I had taken some time off in between to travel. I had a one year severance package so it was do-able. But my conservative professional nature got the better of me and I forged ahead with the new job.
I have not had another opportunity to travel extensively since. I guess now I have to wait for retirement.
In some ways, I wish I hadn't joined the military and had just gone straight into college after high school. It took my life in a different direction than I anticipated.
I wish I had picked a different major, but even now I don't know what a better choice would have been. I have friends across all kinds of different majors, and the only ones who are doing well are engineering majors, but even that's iffy. I partied a moderate amount, so I don't regret that. I guess I wish I could have been a better student and gotten a better gpa. But meh.
I do wonder what would have happened if I'd picked a different college. Everything in my life would be completely different if I'd gone with my second choice, though I don't know if it would be better or worse.
I guess my only regret is not finding an engineering major with family money to marry!
I wish I hadn't gotten married the first time. If I can't change that, I wish I would have left him sooner than I did... like before I took my first academic job. It was awful to go thru that my first year on the job.
Yes. But the 24 year old me just didn't have the life experience to know to pursue other paths immediately... If that makes sense. I married early, bought a home, had a baby after 5 years, settled into a bland corporate job. I did it all "right" and now I realllllllllly wish I''d taken more risks with my career and done some radical assignments.
I can't, now, since I'm raising a family. Le sigh. Someday though! 18 or so years from now.
I wish I had been more focused in college and grad school and taken classes that would lead me to the career I wanted.
When I started grad school, I turned down an unpaid internship because I was broke. I should have taken it and it would have really helped me in my career.
Not that I don't have a good paying, stable job now. I'm just not doing anything I'm passionate about.
Never lived it up enough, always had to have a job to afford my needs/wants as a kid. College the time of fun = a time i had to have 3-4 jobs to afford stuff. Hoping my 30's allows me to live it up more.
I kind of wish I had gone to law school right after college. I took two years off and worked as a retail manager and while I had a good time, looking back I'm just kind of like, meh, I just should have gone ahead and gone straight to law school. At the time though I was kind of ignoring the fact that I would in all likelihood end up a lawyer (I always wanted to be a lawyer and then junior year of college decided I didn't for reasons that made no sense in retrostpect.)
Post by catsarecute on Aug 22, 2012 9:39:39 GMT -5
I wish I would have asked my husband to live on his own for 6 months before we moved in together. We both boomeranged back home in our early 20's and he went from his parents house to our apartment. He lacked (and in a way, still does) the motivation to do household stuff because his mom did it for him.
I regret some of the stuff I did in college. Yikes. I'm pretty Betty by the Book so it isn't really bad but there were some choices that I made that could have turned out quite horribly for me.
I regret gaining weight back. I lost 50 pounds years ago and gained it all back. I should have learned my lesson the first time and really stuck with the lifestyle change.
I'm starting to wish I'd gotten a degree in finance rather than history. I'm contemplating a career change towards becoming a financial planner, but the math needed scares me. I got a C in college algebra (but perfected a serve for beach volleyball at lambda chi that spring).
I wish I had picked a different major, but even now I don't know what a better choice would have been. I have friends across all kinds of different majors, and the only ones who are doing well are engineering majors, but even that's iffy.
I feel exactly the same, I regret my major election and I wish I'd chosen something more profitable. Now I'm trying my best to figure out how to amend my mistake.
I wish I had known what I wanted to do when I started college. I started in one thing and didn't like it so I basically picked something I was sort of interested in that most of my credits would count for.
I wish I'd put forth more of an effort in school. My grades were fine but I never really applied myself.
I wish I'd been diagnosed with anxiety. Still haven't, but I think I would have gotten more enjoyment out of things if my social anxiety wasn't holding me back.
One thing I don't regret- marrying my high school sweetheart. I don't regret not getting to date more people, I'm actually thankful I've gotten all this time with him.
It probably would have been nice to date other guys, but I'm glad it worked out the way it did. My only regret, now that I've traveled, is that I didn't work with my college courses to study abroad (but it would have been really difficult as an engeering major).
Part of me wishes I had studied abroad in college. However, that would have put me further into student loan debt and I'm not sure I'd be happier with that.
Post by runblondie26 on Aug 22, 2012 10:06:08 GMT -5
I wish I'd studied abroad in college, and taken more international trips before DD was born. I also wish I'd supported DH's plan to go into the Airforce instead of going to a private aviation college. We wouldn't be buried under a mountain of his students loans right now.
Amazingly no. I lived overseas for 5 years and traveled a bunch then, plus a bunch before having a kid, so that was checked off.
OK, maybe I wouldn't have bought my first house.... but it was a home for over 5 years and I loved making it ours, so I can't say that's a regret with any conviction.
I wish that I would not have been so self conscious in high school and college. I spent way too much time worrying about what I looked like, what I was wearing, my weight, etc. I felt like I wasn't pretty enough and was constantly looking for validation from guys. This lead to me being a tiny bit of a whore.
I also wish that I would not have ignored some of the warning sings earlier in my marriage. Looking back there were things that I overlooked because I wanted so badly to be married and have my perfect little life.
I wish I was more motivated younger in life. I had my head in the clouds and didn't branch out. Oh and I wish I would have taken the scholorship for cross country. I didn't feel like running anymore. Stupid me.
Also, I'm envious of my LSIL being able to attend a performing arts high school. It would have been perfect for me and she hates it (typical teenage hate, though). Had I known about it, who knows what I'd be doing now.
Post by sillygoosegirl on Aug 22, 2012 11:38:20 GMT -5
Are you sure it's too late to do those things? I had some regrets a few years ago, but then I made some changes in my life so I could pursue the things that were important to me. Marriage doesn't prevent you from having fun unless you want it to.
Are you sure it's too late to do those things? I had some regrets a few years ago, but then I made some changes in my life so I could pursue the things that were important to me. Marriage doesn't prevent you from having fun unless you want it to.
You're right! H and I are going to look into moving abroad once he's done with grad school. It's a long shot but we'll look into it all the same.