Going. No, I don't regret my college years. But I could see the argument of not even
going to college in the first place.
With 4 years of free time and 80000 dollars or more these days, I could have
done a lot of unconventional learning. I
could have read 3-4 books per week (600-800 books in 4 years). Or spent that time getting good at a specific
skill like video creation and editing. Then,
I could have started a youtube online web show like many younger people are
doing (2004 for have been the ideal starting time for something like
that). Or travelling the poorest regions
in Africa and writing a book. Or
anything in the world really. It seems
like this concept of self-education is picking up steam given the ridiculously
high cost of college these days. Here are two other ways to do college: the-one-year-alternative-graduate-school-program & The Hustler's MBA.
Girls. I was lucky enough to go to a large, co-ed
university with some really smart people.
I was also lucky to be able to run track and cross country in the
NCAA. There are so many pretty girls at
track meets. They are athletic, smart,
and come in all shapes and sizes. I
still don’t know why I didn't end up actually asking any of them out. I was too shy and had enough on my plate with
school and training to focus adequately on someone else. But I think it would have been a good testing
ground before getting into the real world where it can be harder to meet
people.
Appalachian Trail. I always dreamed of doing the AT. I know from hiking the John Muir Trail, that
it would have been an experience that I would constantly draw upon. The summers between spring and fall semester
would have been the best time in life to do it.
But I needed money and experience from internships, at least that is
what I thought at the time. I also had
this idea that I had to run every day during the summer to be successful. While true, I was never going to make it as a
pro runner so I should not have let that stop me.
Study Abroad. My first year living in Australia was filled
with mental stimulation. I am still
getting schooled in new ideas and ways of doing things. Studying for a semester abroad, say Chile,
would have been an enlightening experience even if I did not get credit for
it. And I would have mastered Spanish. Many people I work with in the mining industry
are global and can speak 2-3 languages which makes me feel less superior. English will always be the standard but
speaking another language can connect you with that people group that otherwise
remains mostly off limits.
NOLS Semester. The same idea as the study abroad. I love the outdoors; I think I would have gained
valuable skills during a semester in Alaska or the Yukon. And it would have just been a lot of fun.
Taking more credits. College is really expensive. I wish I would have taken more courses to get
the most out of my tuition. The
conventional method is to only take 16-18 credits per semester for 4 years,
then graduate. No one ever told me you
could take more if you wanted. I started
taking some random courses like my last year like mountain geography and
philosophy of religion as pass/fail just to mix things up a bit. I got to meet non-engineering students and
expanded my brain.
Taking running too
seriously. I felt obligated to run
with focus for all four years. I gave it
a good effort but missed out on opportunities for practice and travelling to meets. But that was really cool to experience itself. I guess that was my college experience and it was
pretty awesome.
Not taking running
seriously enough. I was a good
runner in high school but I got destroyed daily in track practice. But I was training with some very fast guys
and in the best shape of my life. It
would have been the ideal time to really go for it. I wish would have really Risked It like Cam Levins.
There are so many different things a person can do. I could have done anything I wanted to do,
but not everything. I think it is all working out ok.
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Photo: College Graduation
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