Embrace Every Experience and Opportunity: Learning from My Freshmen Regret

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Brian Weaver
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As college is a string of decisions, regrets are inevitable. My biggest regret was not something I did, rather it was an opportunity I did not seize early enough. It was a yearlong decision to stay in my comfort zone when opportunities were right in front of me. Staying trapped in my own bubble felt like a good idea at the time. The anxiety of new things seemed unbearable in a college atmosphere. 

Go beyond your comfort zone

I wasn’t completely closed off my freshman year. My best friends come from the people on my dorm hall, and I am still an executive member of the club I joined before classes started fall of freshman year. However, I became complacent with my college experience when I should have pursued even more opportunities.  I truly believed college was to consist of a few friends, maybe an activity on campus, and the rest of the time devoted to schoolwork and Netflix. Eventually I realized I was missing something. Sophomore year, it hit me. I had to branch out, step out of the proverbial comfort zone, and try new things on campus. Any college student knows how fast the four years go by, and I could not let the time slip away without getting my money’s worth.  

Move from involvement to engagement

I had already found my home at school, so I had the chance to try new things with that safety net to catch me. For me, reaching out landed me in a professional Greek organization that I love, has expanded my contacts to a much larger percentage of the student population (despite having 25,000 undergrads on campus), and overall increased my willingness to take on responsibilities within new clubs and organizations.  

Having free time is my biggest regret, wasting away a year due to my lack of meaningful involvement. I URGE you to find a place worth your time and investment. Do not do what I did with my freshman year, being content with boredom and a tiny network of the college experience. There are so many opportunities out there, go find them!

 

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