Five Things I Wish I Did Differently

They say hindsight is 20/20. For the most part, I am happy with the choices that I made while a student, now ten years out from my Bachelor's degree and seven years out from my Master's degree. However, if I could somehow travel back in time, these are the five things I would have done differently as a student.

1. Participate in international study abroad. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Ireland for a semester but I elected not to do so. I did manage to save some money by not studying abroad but I also missed out on a very unique educational experience. Now that I have had the good fortune to travel internationally as a career professional, I realize the amazing growth and learning that happens when you immerse yourself into different places and cultures.

2. Take more math courses. I took Advanced Placement Calculus in high school and then one statistics class at the undergraduate level and another statistics class at the graduate level. I use math all the time - in particular statistics - in my current role as a higher ed administrator. Since I only took a few courses of math, I now need to go back and re-teach myself.

 3. Take more time for career exploration. I did not take advantage of the career development resources at my undergraduate institution. Over the course of my educational career, I was majoring in pre-medicine, physical therapy, exercise physiology, religious studies, history, literature and international studies. I was entirely focused on my academic interests - which is not in and of itself a bad thing - but I neglected to give serious thought to how I planned to translate my knowledge and skills into a career. I figured things out in time but career exploration earlier in my life would have helped the process along.

4. Study a second language. I have both the privilege and the disadvantage of being a native English speaker in an English-speaking world. I studied Spanish in high school and wish I would have continued my studies at the undergraduate level.

5. Consider a broader option of graduate schools.  The jury is still out on my graduate school choice. I elected to attend an elite program at a competitive private university. I do believe that I benefited intellectually from this choice; rigor and expectations both ran very high. Whether or not this degree credential gives me special edge with an employer somewhat depends on the particular employer and his or her biases. I do know that I am making 120 payments of $450 to pay off the student debt that I incurred. Was the cost worth the benefit? In retrospect, I am not sure.