Honest? Gone away to college. I don’t really regret not going. I started out at a Community College near home then went to George Mason because it was close AND I liked the school. Plus by that time I was a Junior and I wasn’t about to transfer to some school where I’d have to figure out dorm life. And I had a job. Retail. But I liked it.
I didn’t not go away because I didn’t get accepted to someplace that would have taken me away. I got accepted to 2 places – Longwood and Radford. Both fine schools that would have gotten me a quality education and most likely good experiences.
But at the time. I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to go away to college. To be tempted by constant parties and no parents making me actually go to school (not that they really had to make me go, but they’d totally know if I was out partying all night and not going to school while I was at home vs. if I was away). I just didn’t trust myself to be responsible enough to go away and ultimately finish school. Which really probably speaks to my responsibility to actually know that about myself. I will say I never missed a day of class “just because.” I missed for things like snow or illness. But not illness in the way of hangovers.
Sometimes I wonder who I’d be if I had gone away. Would I have joined a Sorority? I probably would have. Would I have actually gotten my degree in education and became a teacher? Probably. And I’m sure I would have made lifelong friends. But it’s not like I don’t already have those anyway. And I have the memories. Maybe not of crazy staying up all night to finish a paper or talking with my roommate or sneaking boys into my dorm or whatever else crazy young college kids do. But I do have memories of my life during my college years. I don’t feel cheated by any stretch of the imagination. But sometimes I can’t help but wonder. And then I look at my life. With the husband I wouldn’t have. Friends I wouldn’t know. A house I wouldn’t own. A job I wouldn’t have. And I know. I made the right decision. My life turned out the way it was meant to. And I’m happy with that.
I did the same thing went to my local cc and then transferred to the local university and I always had the same kind of regrets about not leaving. I then decided to go to Grad school out of state which gave me the chance to do both. They both were the right decisions for me at the time too, so that keeps regret somewhat in check.
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