Here’s how to make the most of your college experience

Graduating seniors share their biggest college regrets

BY CORALIE LOON arts@theaggie.org

No one wants to have regrets. At the same time, as a newly admitted freshman, the idea that you still have your entire college experience to do the things you want to do can sometimes overpower your will to do those things. And, next thing you know, you’re being handed a diploma and saying goodbye to the world you feel like you just entered.

So what does it really mean to make the most of your college experience?

And do most students do everything they want to, or do they walk away wishing things were different?

According to one survey of recent college graduates, most students surveyed reported having no regrets, and those with regrets most commonly mentioned student loans, areas of study or the ability to network. Another source cited common college regrets as not getting enough work experience, not making or maintaining enough friendships and not traveling or studying abroad.

Many of these examples point to regrets that aren’t tied to academic success. Few graduating seniors seem to think they didn’t study enough, but many feel they didn’t try hard enough in other areas.

Kai Uchio, a fourth-year environmental science and management major, shared his college regrets.

“I wish that I had applied for more internship and job opportunities and communicated with TAs and professors more,” Uchio said.

Work experience, in fact, is the regret Career Addict puts in the #1 slot. With school and student jobs taking up so much time, it’s no wonder careerrelated work experience is difficult to prioritize. Talking with more people and expanding social horizons, however, is something that may require less time to achieve.