High School - Do You Have Any Regrets?

[BDBopper]

It's Memorial Day Weekend - The unofficial start of Summer. That means that we've reached High School Graduation season. Each year I reflect back to that point in my life and maybe you do too. In that light I pose a question. Do you have any regrets about your days in High School?

I have only one regret about my days at High School but it is something I could not control. I lived far off from my High School. I was bused in out of cluster because Parkview, my High School was the school selected by my county to hold the special education program for the visually impaired. My bus rides were and hour to and from. I could not participate in extracurriculars. I only attended two football games (and nothing else). I was a complete outsider and it wasn't my choice. I was nice, cordial, and polite to everyone I met and made many acquaintances but not really any friends because after the school bell rang I was out of there and gone until the bell rang the next day.

I never had the "High School Experience." If it wasn't evident to me it was completely so at Graduation time. I spent hours writing dozens of meaningful "Senior Letters" to my classmates but didn't get many in return. I was invited to prom (cause everyone was) but no one asked if I wanted to go with their group of friends (and no one really cared after I didn't show up) I invited many people to my Graduation party but no one showed up from my Graduating class. I was not invited to anyone else's party either. It didn't matter too much to me at the time but once I got to sit down and reflect upon it did hurt and still somewhat does. I didn't act like I was lonely and I felt unaccepted but I sure felt like it. Yes I realize I really wasn't alone cause I knew many people who were from the counter-culture and were bitter about the whole social classes and stuff but they made their choice...I was forced by my position.

Okay so I wrote a long passage (longer than I intended) but I'd like to know if you have any regrets about High School and/or what you did while there.

[Gemini Cricket]

I would have tried to get away with more.
:D

[flippyshark]

I was way too well behaved througout much of High School. I was such a good christian boy, I very deliberately passed on some offers of hanky panky that I now wish I could cash in on. But that's nothing compared to my massive regerts about College. I blew it on every level, academic and social, in my college years.

On the other hand, I've had some amazing opportunities and made wonderful friends since then, so I don't wish any of it away. If I took up the "alternate timeline" back at college, I might be a bitter 9 to 5'er in Albuquerque rather than a perpetual adolescent who gets to play at Disney World and get paid for it.

[Not Afraid]

I was VERY badly behaved in HS. I would have probably been netter served if I had just buckled down and studied. However, if I did that, I would not have had nearly as much fun.

[Deebs]

I was an odd mix in high school. I was a goody-goody, but I was a cheerleader. My dancing got me on the squad, and they relied on me for choreography of the halftime routines, but I didn't fit in with them socially.

Do they still even have smoking areas in high schools? There was a smoking area at mine. I didn't hang there. Never smoked anything. All the other cheerleaders at least smoked at parties. I didn't even go to the parties.

Regrets? I dunno. Not really. No.

[Isaac]

Nothing.

I don't miss it, nor do I care to remember or relive it.

[BarTopDancer]

Nothing.

I don't miss it, nor do I care to remember or relive it.

My thoughts exactly.

[scaeagles]

In my last couple months of 8th grade, the summer, and my first couple months of 9th grade, I grew about 7 inches and put on about 30 lbs. I went from a shortgeeky looking kid to being tall and decent looking, with attention from girls and by December of that year, I was actually popular. It went to my head and I started treating people like dirt. Sadly that lasted for about 3 years. It wasn't until my second semester of my senior year that I stopped acting like an arrogant fool. I regret that.

[€uroMeinke]

I had a lot of fun in high school - not sure what I could have done to be even more fun. I suppose I could have taken a few more risks, but I think I did well enough with the ones I took.

[CoasterMatt]

I had a great time in high school, and things I did at the school led to better things for myself, and continue to bring good things to the students there to this day (I was deeply involved with peer counseling/suicide prevention counseling- I still make an occasional appearance with the people who run the program now).

[Mousey Girl]

I was a strange one in High School. We moved the summer before 11th grade, and I was finally able to do things on my own terms. Before that we lived in a VERY small town. The mistakes you made in 4th grade folllowed you for the rest of your life. My Sophomore year I was finally able to enjoy myself, no longer in my perfect sister's shadow (she graduated the year before). After I found out it would be my last year there I really had fun. I was no longer a doormat, I would challenge anyone who got in my face. My last 2 months of school I spent telling people exactly what I thought of them. :evil:

When we moved to Bakersfield, it was my chance at a fresh start, and to be as anonymous as possible...until the drama teacher took an intrest in me. I didn't go to any dances, or sporting events, but I didn't want to. I joined choir my senoir year for 2 reasons. I had a free period at school and I wanted to go to Disneyland. I got away with a lot, mainly because I looked like such a goodie-goodie. Only 3 or 4 people (in a school with over 1000) knew what I was really up to and who to see if they needed some smokeage.

I can't say that I regret anything. Everything I did and experienced helped to make me who I am. Granted, that isn't saying much. The question of regret reminds me of my response to The Boy when he asked me why I married his dad in the first place, "If I hadn't married him, I wouldn't have you."

[Stan4dSteph]

I wish I had been more social, but I never seemed to click into any of the groups.

[belleh5]

Nothing.

I don't miss it, nor do I care to remember or relive it.

Ditto!!

[Moonliner]

I mostly remember not what I learned but what was lost: Virginity.

[3894]

Non, je ne regrette rien. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFRuLFR91e4)

[sleepyjeff]

A couple of people I wished I would have treated better and a couple of others who I wished I didn't try so hard to impress....but for the most part it was a very good time and I'd do it again in a heartbeat:)

[Alex]

No complaints, regrets, or wistful rememberances. It was just a period of my life, it went ok then I moved on to the next period.

[Strangler Lewis]

I can't say that there's anything about high school--or any part of my life--that I would snap my fingers to undo if I could. However, I will probably advise my kids to pick their battles with teachers more carefully and be more forward looking in their approach to education in general.

[tracilicious]

I'm with SL on this one. Some things were good, others were not, but I don't think I'd redo it even if I could. So, no, no regrets.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

High school was actually pretty great for me.

In my sophomore year (my first; we ran 10-12) I suppose that at the time I would've had regrets. Once I got on the pom squad, I regretted trying out because I didn't fit in with the somewhat shallow other pommers. And because I DID fit in with the drama club. But once the season was over I was even more happy to join drama - I appreciated it more.

At the time, I might've regretted not asking my crush to homecoming my sophomore year - but I ended up dating him for two years, anyway, and instead I spent a great bonding night with girls who are still friends today.

In the years following high school, I might've regretted that two-year relationship because I was quite hurt when it ended. But the perspective of time has certainly shown that everything was as it should have been. He encouraged me to be a director. I encouraged him to go to the school where he met the love of his life. And then I went to that school and met someone, too. Someone who eventually made me want to flee as far away as I possibly could - to a little town called Los Angeles, where I met Tom, and all of you. So I don't even regret that.

Perhaps I don't regret much because the bad often leads to the good. Even the more goal-based regrets (for instance, have only lost a little weight so far, have not finished my screenplay) aren't so bad because one can work to change those - and I am.

[BDBopper]

In reading your awesome and vaired responses I do have to add something. Maybe regret is not the right word. Because can you really regret something that you could not control yourself? My experience in school has helped to make the person I am today so it is not so bad that I;d want to do it over again differently. However I would make sure my kids (if I have any) live close by the school they are going to attend.

[Ponine]

I'm one of those wierd people who would repeat high school.

regrets... yes, I have at least two.

I ditched my best friend from junior high my freshmen year after I got attnetion from the boys and she did not.
We're still friends now, but she didnt deserve that.

And the boy I dated my senior year.
I regret that. I really cared about him, and when I releized we were getting serious, I told him that I had a quasi boyfriend who was out of the country that year.
He walked away from me, and never spoke to me again. Leaving me dateless for prom, and a host of other things.
How would I have handled that on the second take? No idea. But not that way.

Otherwise... yeah, its all cool.

[Morrigoon]

I regret not taking USC's offer to finish my last year of high school with them (they have a program where you can start college and finish high school simultaneously). I opted to stay in regular high school because I didn't want to miss out on any of the "experiences" like prom and graduation. But since everybody hated me in school, those "experiences" really weren't worth the sacrifice, and I might have done more/better in college if I'd gone. Plus, I'd have graduated by 1999 instead of 2004.

[Scrooge McSam]

Yep

I regret that I let fear rule me.

I should have left home earlier than I did. I didn't realize it at the time, but I wasn't alone. There were people willing to help me if I would have taken the first step.

But most importantly, I should have done Arch. He was hot!

[katiesue]

No big regrets. I had fun. I wasn’t prom queen or anything (we didn’t have one anyway) but I got along with most everyone. My best friend went to boarding school so I was always kind of in with all the other groups here and there. I did many many crazy and in retrospect, totally stupid things. Just one example of many-

Monica and I went to Reno with two guy friends, M & D, to cruise one night. I think we said we were staying the night at Monica’s but her parents were out of town. So we’re cruising Virginia Street drinking beer. There was a convertible with two guys in it and Monica was bantering with them. At some point we all pulled into the same parking lot and I ran and jumped into their car. Upon arriving in the car I noticed that these two guys made Revenge of the Nerds look hunky. Oops. I was planning my exit when Monica suddenly jumps in as well. And M & D left. I’m not sure what happened. I think Monica told them it was ok.

So now we’re in Reno, and we’re not supposed even be there, in a car with two guys we’ve never met. Excellent. So the guys, we’ll call them Joe and Fred, take us back to their fraternity house. And judging from the reception, Joe and Fred had never brought girls home before. There was much excitement with doors opening and people running around yelling “look Joe & Fred found girls”.

Fortunately for us, Joe and Fred were nice guys. They ended up driving us home (that’s 82 miles one way) so we got there just in time for our Youth Group pancake breakfast. Which was very very lucky. Although I’m still a little annoyed that M & D just left us with some random guys in Reno.

There were many more adventures in stupidity – gosh it was a lot of fun.

[Kevy Baby]

I try to live my life with no regrets. If there are things that I am not happy with, I realize that I had to experience that to know what I needed to change in my life. I cannot undo the past, but I can use my experiences to make change in my future.

But I do have some fun and some not-so-fun memories. Marching Band was fun (a few years after high school, I ran into an old high school friend who was genuinely amazed to learn that my friend Any Workman and I were NOT under the influence of anything at the games - we were just that wacked out naturally). I got a tremendous education on how to get away with breaking all sorts of rules without getting into trouble. I engaged in lots of great sex (and most of it was with other people). I had my heart broken (and definitely not for the last time).

[Crazybirdman]

I really only regret the things I didn't do. Shoulda studied more to make college easier, shoulda partied more instead of getting a job (seeing as how I can't even remember what I needed to buy so badly back then), shoulda slept more.

[Kevy Baby]

I remember the other thing I wanted to add to my post: I learned that just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean yuo SHOULD do it.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I was glad when high school ended.

Regrets? Only that I wish I had spent less time and energy trying to fit in with what I thought were the cool people. I had a habit of taking in stray people, and then I'd abandon them when they couldn't help me be popular. Not smart and not a good thing.

On the bright side, I did find the small group of friends that worked with me. Only one of them is still a friend; I left the area and have never looked anybody up. I've learned that me finding friends is a numbers game- interview many, wish most of them well and send them on their way, and I'm left with just a few, but good friends.