What is your biggest regret from your school life?

[Skippy918]

I wish I would have dated more.

 

[Kate_45]

In high school a certain big news event concerning high schools and trenchcoats occurred and me and ALL the goth kids at my school were kicked out for what are BS reasons. I hadn't even had a detention in four years at that point, but I was actually arrested because one of my bullies thought it would be loads of fun to tell people I'd said I was going to shoot up the school. I hadn't, of course, but I went through arrests, juvie for four days, house arrest for a whole summer of my youth, a lawyer my parents could barely afford, and a court case that two of my own teachers took a sick day to attend and testify on my behalf.

I ended up with a bunch of dismissed charges and a 75$ court fine for 'inducing panic' for something I didn't do. It messed up my GPA to a state that I couldn't apply for colleges when before I was a A- student. And all this circus was pushed for by the vice principal who seemed to think that I was trouble because I was goth, and that I was missing 'good Christian values'.

Anyways, my big regret is that I sat through all that in terror and never flipped that man the bird.

You should write to him. Nothing hateful, just clearly describing the impact that his actions and prejudice had on your life.

Maybe just that post without the last line?

I mean hand gestures are a way of expressing your anger and distain for someone. A letter could do that in a measured,mature way.
Plus if you'd sworn at him he would have taken it as reinforcement of his opinion of who you were. Written well the letter will make him realise the mistake he made and the damage he did to a young man in his care.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Wish I had hopped into the community college and continued my education from there instead of the "normal" middle/high school route. I took summer classes at the community college in 9th grade, and did really well... then I went back to regular school and it was a nightmare of bullying from the staff and students for many more years.

 

[DuskKodesh]

You should write to him. Nothing hateful, just clearly describing the impact that his actions and prejudice had on your life.

Maybe just that post without the last line?

I mean hand gestures are a way of expressing your anger and distain for someone. A letter could do that in a measured,mature way.
Plus if you'd sworn at him he would have taken it as reinforcement of his opinion of who you were. Written well the letter will make him realise the mistake he made and the damage he did to a young man in his care.

Young woman actually at the time, but honestly no I really don't wish to deal with him anymore. It was my first year of High school and I'm 36 now and it's in the past. I don't even know his first name, I recall his last was Powderly because several of the kids called him Powderpuff at the time. Honestly The way he was back in the day wouldn't lead me to think he'd be anything but reactionary now. If he's still alive, it's been so long, who knows. I was a minor at the time so thankfully the record is gone and my name was kept out of the news. Just about every high school in my area of Ohio had two or more kids kicked out for 'threats' around that time. I have little doubt it was all a post-Columbine witch hunt and he wasn't the only vice-principal simply throwing kids out from hearsay.

My wish to have flipped a hand gesture is really just my wish to have been less placid through the whole affair. I kept thinking 'well, I've done nothing wrong. They will see that. This will all end now.' I thought that in the police cruiser. I thought that in the station. I thought that in the juvenile hall when I was paired up with a roomate. I thought that when my family got me out. It just kept getting worse. Any attempt to defend myself was just dismissed and at this age I just feel like... damn. That was not fair. I had every right to be angry. I should have gotten angry. I should have told people where they could stick their papers. My family was absolutely seething through the entire thing. I was just... scared. That's the wish. I'm better off not interacting with him, I think of him as an adult bully. Maybe he thinks about and regrets what he did? Maybe not, but I don't want to subject myself to the interaction. My life is much better since having come out the other side of that trouble. <3

 

[Kate_45]

Absolutely. You certainly did have every right to be angry!

(tbh though most people would have had the same lack of assuredness as a teenager, it generally comes with experience coupled with distance so your response was utterly understandable)

Thanks for explaining. I feel I understand much better now.

And apologies for foisting gender on you. Young person.

 

[Allison]

None.

 

[arminnie]

One semi regret - my college had a junior year abroad option that was very rare over half a century ago. I decided to graduate in 3 years so skipped my junior year. My classmates who participated formed a bond that has lasted 50 years. Plus I really could have become fluent in French.

But by graduating early I avoided another $1000 in debt (more like $15,000 in today’s dollars). And I had some really impressive job opportunities.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I should have worked harder. Done more. Focused more on school. I was too busy socializing and I didn’t think grades mattered. I tried community college, but that didn’t work out. Now, I’m a 34 year old single mom who lives with her parents. I hate it to no end. Like, I can’t even begin to explain how much I hate it. I’m grateful to my parents for all the help they have given me, but I hate it. I have no one to blame but myself and it goes back all those years ago when I should have been focused on school. The only good thing is that my brothers saw how badly I was screwing up and they did the total opposite. They are now both extremely successful and I am beyond happy for them. I hope my son makes school a priority and looks at me for what NOT to do. I refuse to let him follow in my footsteps

You’re not too old to make your dreams come true. You can still go back to school and get your degree. There are so many ways to do it now - on line classes, distance learning, community college classes. A couple of years ago I attended a community college graduation for people who had earned Associates degrees. It was the most inspiring graduation I have ever attended (and I’m a middle school/high school teacher who has college students/grads of my own). I saw people from all walks of life and all ages walk across that stage - grandmas, grandpas, single parents, and traditional students. No matter what life threw at these folks, they kept their eye on the prize and kept taking classes towards their degrees. It took some of them years to finish, but they did it. You can too, one class at a time.

 

[ZZBane]

You’re not too old to make your dreams come true. You can still go back to school and get your degree. There are so many ways to do it now - on line classes, distance learning, community college classes. A couple of years ago I attended a community college graduation for people who had earned Associates degrees. It was the most inspiring graduation I have ever attended (and I’m a middle school/high school teacher who has college students/grads of my own). I saw people from all walks of life and all ages walk across that stage - grandmas, grandpas, single parents, and traditional students. No matter what life threw at these folks, they kept their eye on the prize and kept taking classes towards their degrees. It took some of them years to finish, but they did it. You can too, one class at a time.

Thank you That’s very sweet of you to say. I have hopes that things will work out and be ok. I know it’ll take time and be a lot of work, but once things get situated and settled here (we just moved to FL) I think I’ll be looking into some classes and see what’s available. I used to love to write, but I had a newspaper teacher in 11th grade tell me I was the worst writer she’s ever seen and I would never be able to write for anything. I haven’t written since. Idk why I let that impact me so much. I really do appreciate your kind words. Your kids are lucky to have you as their teacher

 

[bushdianee]

I wish that I wouldn't have been so serious in high school and college. I had NO social life as I was babysitting every weekend through high school and working whenever I didn't have classes in college. I never dated, went to parties, etc. I was always on the fringes of groups. I was in honors classes but didn't do great in them grade wise. I passed but only made the honor roll a couple of times. I was one of the kids that was always there but not really noticed.

 

[Pamlur]

Not trying harder in college.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

In highschool, not having fun and participating in school activities.

College - not going away and experiencing the dorm life.

 

[leebee]

I wish I'd had some sort of confidence in choosing a college major. I'd always been interested in medicine, and for a long time wanted to be a surgeon or a neonatologist. My mother was less than supportive in every area of parenting (full-on alcoholic raising 4 kids alone- I was the oldest), so I have no idea why I listened to her when she said DON'T go pre-med and then on to med school, I'd be 30 by the time I finished residency, etc. Instead I floated through colleges and majors, finally earning a BS and then MS in food science... the thesis for which I defended the day before I turned 30, so I was in school that long anyhow! I've ended up floating around in professional positions that I've enjoyed, but the pay is reasonably low, the hours long, and in some jobs the benefits were all but non-existent. I'm 63 and tired and want some time to live my life, but it's pretty clear I'm gonna have to work another 10 years... so yeah, I guess I regret listening to my mother's academic/career advice.

 

[MrsPete]

- I wish I hadn't been so concerned about what other people thought in high school -- what a waste of energy.
- I wish I had attended the college I really wanted instead of following my then-boyfriend to his college choice.
- I wish I'd chosen the college major I knew was right for me instead of listening to my mom. It's not that she said, "You must study this!"; rather, she pointed out some negatives to my plans ... and I was too young/naive to realize that EVERY career choice has its own negatives.

But I was always on top of my grades, and I always balanced my academics and social life well -- and I worked really hard to avoid student loans, which wasn't easy with no financial support from home. I'm more proud of those things than I am sorry for the things I did wrong.

 

[Sandeep1]

I would say



Choosing to have fun rather than working hard at times.

Same here. Also wish I would have chosen something other than finance which doesn't seem to open up a ton of possibilities.

 

[Shelley Chiarats]

Like a previous poster, my regret is not going away to college. I was a young 17 when I graduated and not ready to leave the nest of home & high school. I went to a local university, kept living at home and coached at my high school for 2 years. Thus I was never really involved in the college atmosphere. Now grown and more mature I can't help but wonder if both of those would not have happened smoother if I had gone away to college and lived in the dorms and what not.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I did pretty well in high school - lot of fun memories. However, in college I really didn't apply myself, and never graduated. I kick myself for not following through, as it would have benefited me through the years.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

High school - stressing too much about everything.
College - focusing more on my relationship than having the college experience. My grades were fine, I just feel as if I missed out on a lot because all my free time I was "playing house" instead of actually trying to have a good time and enjoy the new found freedom.

 

[BrianL]

In high school a certain big news event concerning high schools and trenchcoats occurred and me and ALL the goth kids at my school were kicked out for what are BS reasons. I hadn't even had a detention in four years at that point, but I was actually arrested because one of my bullies thought it would be loads of fun to tell people I'd said I was going to shoot up the school. I hadn't, of course, but I went through arrests, juvie for four days, house arrest for a whole summer of my youth, a lawyer my parents could barely afford, and a court case that two of my own teachers took a sick day to attend and testify on my behalf.

I ended up with a bunch of dismissed charges and a 75$ court fine for 'inducing panic' for something I didn't do. It messed up my GPA to a state that I couldn't apply for colleges when before I was a A- student. And all this circus was pushed for by the vice principal who seemed to think that I was trouble because I was goth, and that I was missing 'good Christian values'.

Anyways, my big regret is that I sat through all that in terror and never flipped that man the bird.

Wow! I wasn't a goth kid, but I did wear a grey trench coat (think more trench coat nerd like Jerry from Parker Lewis ). I do remember the somewhat bad rap they got a the time, though fortunately most people took it in stride. I was sometimes asked why I was wearing that thing. My answer was always, "because it's cold." That usually just shut anybody up. I mean, it's a coat, not a manifesto! I just liked it, plus it made for a great Inspector Gadget Halloween costume one year.

That's really terrible that that happened to you - getting involved in the legal system can be such a nightmare!

 

[DuskKodesh]

Wow! I wasn't a goth kid, but I did wear a grey trench coat (think more trench coat nerd like Jerry from Parker Lewis ). I do remember the somewhat bad rap they got a the time, though fortunately most people took it in stride. I was sometimes asked why I was wearing that thing. My answer was always, "because it's cold." That usually just shut anybody up. I mean, it's a coat, not a manifesto! I just liked it, plus it made for a great Inspector Gadget Halloween costume one year.

That's really terrible that that happened to you - getting involved in the legal system can be such a nightmare!

Inspector Gadget costume honestly sounds like an amazing idea! Propeller blades on your head and you could hide tools up your sleeves! I was full black leather trench and a top hat with frilly shirts. I looked like I was going to an Anne Rice book signing at all times. XD Can we add sense of style regrets into here?