What did (or didn't) you do when you're 18 that you most regret?

[ladida]

Wonderful post from an amazing 18yrs old

http://ben.casnocha.com/2006/03/friend_of_ben_w.html

I think we all can learn something from it

[meatwad]

I always wanted to take Kung Fu classes. I suppose I could still do that, but I'm kind of over it now. Meat Kwan Do!!!

[Cole]

oohh 18 was a baddddd year for me.

I regret the things I did that led my best friend to tell me that we should let our friendship die.

And I regret that I was too busy to have more fun before graduation.

And goddamnit I deserved the lead in the musical that year.

I regret that I was so wrapped up with boyfriends and breakups that I forgot about my friends.

I regret that I didn't apply to a few more schools, just to know where else I could've gone.

And I regret missing my granddad's funeral.

[and1grad]

I have FEW regrets but I do have one from that year that STILL burns me. :(

Great article tho.

[coll214]

Like the cliche goes, I regret the things I did not do!

But the biggest would be taking my mother's college advice; the last guilt trip that ever worked :mad:.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I didn't turn 18 until after I started college - a good eight weeks of my first year of college I was a 17 year old living in the dorms.

I don't remember much of being 18. I guess the one thing I might have regretted (and this is just college in general) was that I wasn't too social. I was (still am) shy and never really broke out of that shell.

But that's really it, I think. 18 wasn't a big deal for me. Most of my friends turned 18 while we were seniors in high school. I really like the fact that I was a 17 year old college freshman than an 18 year old high school senior though. :)

[Kitty]

I think I regret that entire year, completely. Seriously.

[heatherf]

Shit, I've got a "who" I regret when I was 18. :neutral:

[Winter Storm]

18 or 1996 was a great year for me. So many great firsts. That was one year I still remember fondly.

Don't regret a thing.

[Kitty]

Shit, I've got a "who" I regret when I was 18. :neutral:

That's what I'm saying.

[yankeeyosh]

I should have started interning right away, got off my ass and not be a slacker and settle for crappy jobs. I would have probably been in a much better situation than I am now had I done that.

[SmilesSoSweet]

Shit, I've got a "who" I regret when I was 18. :neutral:

I didn't have one of those until I was 22. :sad:

[WorkInProgress]

It's so hard to remember specifics about that year, since so much was going on. I can't think of anything I regret or would do differently from that year. (I can think of one think from the year after that, but even that worked itself out and has barely left a scar.) I am either very lucky or very superficial.

[shimmer728]

I think I regret that entire year, completely. Seriously.

Me too.

I didn't turn 18 until July 1998, but what a horrible year all together.

Some regrets:

-I didn't party at all, or do anything social, really. I had no fun whatsoever my freshman year of college, didn't make any friends and pretty much kept to myself. It was the loneliest year of my life.
-I didn't tell my freshman year roommate to fuck off when she treated me like crap--I shut up and took it.
-I didn't date. I had an offer or two, and I totally blew them off.

I am SO GLAD my life is nothing like it used to be!

[shinyleaf]

I regret that I didn't speak up in my senior year and lie and say that I was going into medicine or some bs so I could score on some "pre-med" scholarships from local associations that don't know any better.

I was in the 85th percentile of my graduating class, I'd say - not high enough to score any scholarships but hey, lookie 10 years later - I'm the only one out of ~120 students with a graduate degree :frustrate

None of the "pre-med" scholarship winners are physicians.

oh, and i regret breaking someone's heart at 18. I was really quite insensitive about it.

[SunDevil]

Always working hard
Not enough travel world wide
Too few girls in bed

-Brad Feld, Managing Director, Mobius Venture Capital


That sums it up pretty well. Way too focused on school and not focused on making myself better. I also wish I had done some foreign exchange type of thing in High School, I think it would have worked out better than in college. And I should have done something to earn some money because not having any caused just as many problems as being too busy to do anything. I should have talked to more people, exercised more, and choose the same college that I did. It was one decision I made correctly.

EDIT:
I'm still undecided as to whether taking steroids(had I'd know how common it was and could get it), drinking more, going on Spring Break someplace hot, and smoking pot with some friends would have turned out. Would I have been successful in college? Would I have been more successful in social situations?

[Deni81]

I was a goody-two shoes in high school and then went four hours away to college. So I regret partying a little too much.

[EastCoastQLCing]

I think at 18 I did alright...no major regrets. I studied a lot, but still had a lot of fun. I didn't worry half as much as I do now. Its the later years where the regrets are...and too much worrying.

[EmberMae]

There's a lot of things I wish I would have done differently. Not really when I was 18, but decisions I made before I was 18 that I just kept following through on. Such as whom to date, where to go to school, what to major in. But I learned some valuable lessons from those mistakes and I'm not sure where I'd be without them.

I worked too hard in college and didn't have enough fun. Little did I realize that a 4.0 doesn't mean jack shit to employers. I stayed in a relationship with the wrong person for me and alienated some friends over it. I was so lonely freshman year because I desperately wanted to meet people with common interests but it seemed all anyone wanted to do was get drunk. I don't like parties or drinking so I spent a lot of time home alone. That made me cling to the bad boyfriend and as a whole caused long-term damage to my psyche and self-confidence.

[shimmer728]

I was so lonely freshman year because I desperately wanted to meet people with common interests but it seemed all anyone wanted to do was get drunk.

That was my experience freshman year, except I had no boyfriend to cling to. Sounds like yours was no prize, though. :(

I'm a party girl now, so everyone who thought I was such a loser back then because I wouldn't drink would probably be shocked.

[wordsmith]

I wish I had moved out of my freshman dorm room instead of deciding I was going to stubbornly stick it out living with a bunch of mean girls and not let them "chase me out." It did feel good to hold my ground, but it was a miserable and lonely year for me a lot of the time. My pride gets me into trouble sometimes, and I think I'd have been better off in the long run if I'd just moved out and lived someplace with nicer people, where I felt more welcome. There were other friends I made I could have moved in with. But there was no way in hell I was ever going to feel like somebody'd succeded in chasing me away. In retrospect, I had enough going on adjusting to college and being far away from anybody I knew and loved for the first time, without spending all year waging a silent war with a bunch of bitches on top of it.

That's actually one of the very few regrets that I have, period. There really aren't any others that come to mind.

[shadeofgreen]

I had fun my freshman year. I didn't drink or party but I'd found a few like-minded people to hang out with so it was okay.

The big thing is that I never dated. It's not like I was turning down any offers, but that might have been because I was so skittish around boys. I had zero male attention in high school so I didn't know how to deal with it in college, so I'd basically avoid it. That's probably why I was such a ho in my early twenties. I missed out on the formative dating years. I wish I'd realized that dancing with a boy at a club or sitting around talking to guys = not a big deal.

I'm not sure if I regret my college choice. I had fun, I had a great four years, but it was small, mostly female and in a somewhat rural area. It was a glorified high school with dorms, really.

I also wish I'd studied overseas during college, but that's more of a general college regret than an 18 year regret.

[shimmer728]

I had zero male attention in high school so I didn't know how to deal with it in college, so I'd basically avoid it. That's probably why I was such a ho in my early twenties. I missed out on the formative dating years.

Abso-fucking-lutely!!!!!

That SO describes me. I practically ran screaming in the other direction if a guy expressed interest. I was so afraid of dating and relationships, plus I was really shy. After I graduated, I started partying hard for really the first time ever and did quite a bit of hooking up, which was fun. :cool: I often say that this is the most balanced I've ever been in my life. I went from a shy bookworm who refused to go out to a raging partier who spent every weekend with her head in the toilet. Now, I'm somewhere in the middle.

I like hearing that I'm not alone!

[MetFanL]

My ONLY regret is that I didn't realize how pretty I was until after college. I think better haircuts could have helped, though. ;) I guess dealing with some acne and being a chubby girl (although, looking back, I wasn't) killed my self-esteem and I didn't get it back until I was 21ish.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I was the same way that I was shy and I didn't date in college. I actually still am to a point. I never really liked partying in college. I still don't now. But til this day I have no idea if a guy is expressing interest in me or is just being friendly. Most casely the guy is just being friendly. I did hook up with a couple of guys in my early twenties right after college, but I won't go that route again either.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I guess dealing with some acne and being a chubby girl (although, looking back, I wasn't) killed my self-esteem and I didn't get it back until I was 21ish.

I thought I was big/chubby in high school and college, but I wasn't, but my family told me I was, so I believed them and my self-esteem wasn't there. Which is probably why I thought guys wouldn't be interested in me. Now I'm actually bigger, I so my self-esteem and confidence in myself still isn't where it should be. I lost the weight three years ago, but gained it back and now I'm back where I started. :neutral: Now I wish I could be back to the size I was in high school, but it's tough.

[wordsmith]

I guess I've always dated a good enough amount for being a. shy (more in my high school days than now, though...but still, didn't hurt me in h.s.), b. bookish, c. super studious, d. pretty much a nerd. Wonder why?

[WorkInProgress]

I guess I've always dated a good enough amount for being a. shy (more in my high school days than now, though...but still, didn't hurt me in h.s.), b. bookish, c. super studious, d. pretty much a nerd. Wonder why?

Because shy, bookish, studious, nerdy girls are actually cool. Or interesting, at least. And can carry on conversations about a whole lot.

[wordsmith]

Yeah, it's never really hurt me. Guys seem to think I'm interesting, so that works.

It also helps that I tend to date guys who are the male counterpart of that, for the most part. So obviously, they're the ones most interested.

[Brillo25]

I'm with all those that have posted that about having been too shy and running the other direction from virtually all interaction with the opposite sex. But I never had a point where did a 180 and became a male slut for a while after I came out of my shell a bit. It seems like so many had a period where they did that stuff, and they'll say they look back and regret some things and tell me I didn't miss much, but at the same time smile at some of the "fun" they had. I'm sure I'll never have a promiscuous period at this point, and I'm far more interested in sex with emotion anyway, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't at least a part of me that regrets never experiencing the "fun" aspect of a wild period when I was young enough for that to be more likely to happen.

[wordsmith]

I never did the bust loose and go crazy thing, either, and I don't have any real interest in doing so. I've always been more about sex, etc. that involves the whole emotional connection.

[shimmer728]

I will say that I regret my awkward antisocial phase far more than my wild party phase. I look back on the latter and laugh and tell stories about it, but I cringe at how backward I used to be. Seriously, there were no benefits to that whatsoever.

[ebruening]

I didn't have nearly enough fun in high school. I was WAY too serious :neutral: Now that I teach high school, I badly want to take those grade-obsessed kids aside and say, "look, I used to be that way. If you are going to get 2 hours of sleep because you have to do your 96 hours of homework for the next day, I'd much prefer that you skip some of the homework and get a decent amount of sleep. For god's sake, skip the homework for my class; in the grand scheme of things, one missed assignment won't blow your chances at Yale. Take time to slow down and relax. You'll never have this time back." In college, I was far too focused on rocking academics hardcore, and even then, it wasn't really hardcore. It was about average, considering my notoriously easy areas of study. I worked too much, and I officially partied maybe once in my entire 4.5 years in college. Even so, I loved college and wasn't nearly as stressed as I was in high school. Therefore, do I have any regrets at 18, or at 22, for that matter? Lots, but I'm reasonably happy with who I am now. That's all that I'm taking into account.

[wordsmith]

I will say that I regret my awkward antisocial phase far more than my wild party phase. I look back on the latter and laugh and tell stories about it, but I cringe at how backward I used to be. Seriously, there were no benefits to that whatsoever.

Yeah, I was never antisocial. I just never had the pull to be the party girl, either.

[heatherf]

Shimmer- are you social when you aren't drinking?

[shimmer728]

Shimmer- are you social when you aren't drinking?

Now I am. Being a reporter really helped pull me out of my shell--more so than partying/alcohol. :)

[heatherf]

I would imagine that it would, which is great. I get annoyed with people who refuse to do any sort of job/etc if it requires them to actually be social and interact with people even if it makes them uncomfortable. I'm always like, "get over yourself".

[EmberMae]

I guess I've always dated a good enough amount for being a. shy (more in my high school days than now, though...but still, didn't hurt me in h.s.), b. bookish, c. super studious, d. pretty much a nerd. Wonder why?
Same here. I was way too shy to ask anyone out myself, but they asked me out. I love nerds.

I would imagine that it would, which is great. I get annoyed with people who refuse to do any sort of job/etc if it requires them to actually be social and interact with people even if it makes them uncomfortable. I'm always like, "get over yourself".
Easily said from someone who has never suffered from a psychiatric disorder that causes extreme social anxiety. Oh, I guess that people with depression should just "get over themselves" also since it's obviously their fault.

I chose a field that forced me to interact a lot, teaching. It helped a little bit but it also made me a total basketcase. Introverts gain energy from time alone; constant interaction is very draining. Now I seek to find something that works with my personality instead of against it.

[wordsmith]

I also credit becoming a reporter with being equivalent to a crash course in "don't be shy anymore."

[hoodie]

At 18, I should have kicked some very hurtful people to the curb before they hurt me. Instead, I let them drag me into the deepest depression of my life. I should have had other friends to turn to and not have kept all my eggs in one basket. Thank god that 18 was also the year I left high school and went onto college.

[shadeofgreen]

I've never been able to pinpoint a reason why I didn't date as a teenager. I was shy, unattractive, I had a big circle of friends, but they were pretty much all female, I went to a small school in a small town where the class you have in Kindergarden isn't that much different than the one you graduate with (in other words, no new blood, and who you are at age six is often who you're perceived to be at eighteen.)

Really I think I tried desperately to not seem interested in boys, clothes and all that other stuff that teenage girls are supposed to be interested in because I didn't want to be "that girl." But I was that girl. I mean, even if the nerdy boys had asked me out I probably would have rejected them.

I guess I was just terrified of dating.

So when I was old enough to drink I found a way to shut that terror up and enjoy male attention. But the kind of guys who pay attention to a girl like me when she's drunk aren't looking to discuss philosophy or start a meaningful relationship.

I would trade my "party girl" phase and every single boy who played a part in it for one normal, even if short-lived, relationship in my teenage years.

[wordsmith]

I went to a small school in a small town where the class you have in Kindergarden isn't that much different than the one you graduate with (in other words, no new blood, and who you are at age six is often who you're perceived to be at eighteen.)


Same here, but I did still date. Just not often guys from my class. Other classes, other towns, mostly.

[globally79]

I don't regret partying at 18. I do regret the extent to which I took it though, and the money I spent. I wish i had taken advantage of the more of the activities my college offered. I wish I had done more outdoorsy stuff, hiking and camping. But at 18 I had no idea of the things I would be interested in later in life. There are a lot of girls I wish I had taken a chance with. I should have exercised, and I definitely should have gotten an internship in. I wish I had made more friends than just drinking/drugging buddies. Still, lots of good memories.