Libby Kane/Business Insider
This picture was taken on a trip back to visit campus a few years ago. I had a flip phone in college, so I have very few photos.
- College isn't like any other time in your life.
- Nearly a decade after graduation, the things I did right are becoming clear to me ... and so are the things I did wrong.
- For instance, I didn't take advantage of many of the available opportunities, and I didn't realize how much time I had for adventure.
I graduated college eight years ago.
Sometimes, it feels like a lifetime ago, and sometimes, it feels like last week. I loved college, and I've morphed into one of those tedious adults who, upon hearing that some poor unsuspecting teen is heading to college, starts gushing about how wonderful it is and how they're so lucky and how they should enjoy every single moment or else.
Seventeen-year-olds love talking to me.
But on the other hand, when my friends and coworkers and I reflect back on those years, all of the things I would do differently if I had the chance become glaringly obvious. I suppose it's youth wasted on the young and taking opportunities for granted and all of those other things people bemoan of millennials - or 20-year-olds of any generation, really.
Here's the place for a quick disclaimer: Everyone does college differently. Some people do it part-time. Some people take more than four years. Some people return for their degrees after a few years off. I can't speak to anyone else's college experience - only my own.
There were so many wonderful things about college: I met exceptional people, took some fascinating classes (geology: total dark horse), and absolutely loved returning to campus after breaks. But let's be honest: Who wants to hear about the things I did right?
Here are the things I did wrong.