# How would you live your life if you had a second go at it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092 "2010-01-23T06:59:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/1 "2010-01-23T06:59:31Z")
Often I like to speculate that if I were to go through my life again, what would I do differently? What different choices would I make? What career would I pursue? Personally, I think if I had not ever had a girlfriend to anchor me to this area right after high school, I would have ended up joining some sort of “go abroad” program. Whether it be teaching English in Japan, or working missionary work in Africa (or whatever the non-religious equivalent is), I feel I probably would have ended up on some global type adventure. If I had it to do over again, I’d probably make the same choices given the information at the time. But if I got to pick a 2nd choice, a runner-up life so to speak, there are plenty of things I would have done differently. How about you, fellow dopers? Discounting the answer of “I would do the same thing again”, what would you have pursued? Would you have majored differently in college? Would you have joined the military? Would you have taken the chance of moving across country or across the globe to start afresh? ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/2 "2010-01-23T07:37:02Z")
1. Probably wouldn’t have gone to a private school in DC for my undergrad degree. Could have done state school for a fraction of the cost and enjoyed myself more. Not to mention, there were some things I could have done if I hadn’t been anchored by those loans. 2. Wouldn’t have taken that crappy job in DC after graduation. That’s a year of my life I could never get back. 3. Would have waited a few years before going into grad school to get some experience first. 4. Would have asked my boss for a transfer to a different department last January. (This is iffy. On one hand, I know I would have done really well in that job. On the other, a couple people have told me that if I had made that request, I would have been laid off earlier than I actually was.) ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/3 "2010-01-23T08:39:07Z")
I would have paid far more attention to the friendly redhead with big knockers who turned out to be a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/4 "2010-01-23T09:35:27Z")
I would’ve seen a doctor immediately when I first started showing signs of an illness as a teenager. I would’ve double majored in college. In college I felt my goal was to get a degree for a job and get out. So I got a BS in a scientific field. If I could do it again I’d do the same degree plus a BA full of interesting courses that gave me interesting info or good life skills. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/5 "2010-01-23T10:11:40Z")
More sex, more bowling, more cats. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/6 "2010-01-23T16:29:16Z")
Major in math or science instead of English. Get professional help for depression sooner. Go easier on my children. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/7 "2010-01-23T16:54:12Z")
Differently. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/8 "2010-01-23T16:57:07Z")
I would have gone to Italy junior year of college. I would have expanded my marriage criteria beyond “funny.” Not much beyond, though. Maybe just “funny and not crazy.” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/9 "2010-01-23T17:21:58Z")
I’d have travelled more and done more when I had the chance. I also would’ve gotten university over with quicker. I would not have gotten into credit card debt the way I did. I find you usually regret the things you DIDN’T do, not the things you did. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/10 "2010-01-23T17:54:26Z")
Different school major and I would have fought harder for the woman I love. It was tough seeing her stay in a loveless marriage because of her kids. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/11 "2010-01-23T20:41:55Z")
I would’ve moved in with my aunt in her rent controlled apartment in Manhattan. I either wouldn’t have gone to college, only to get the same job I had before I went with the added joy of insurmountable debt OR I would’ve gone and worked harder to get a job in publishing OR I would’ve gotten an associates degree in accounting with some business classes before opening my own business. I would NOT have married a man with no job, even if he swore on his mother’s eyes he would get one. Okay that all tumbled out a little too quickly. I think I may have been thinking about this too much lately. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/12 "2010-01-23T20:50:04Z")
I would be a better father to my son. I was perfect shit for most of his life; not abusive, but neglectful. I got my act together about the time that he got ill, which means bupkis, really. I’d give up anything if I could be free of the weight of all the things I didn’t do that I should have. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/13 "2010-01-23T20:56:02Z")
I’d have fought my mental illness further. I wouldn’t have gotten into student loan debt. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/14 "2010-01-23T21:23:15Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I would’ve seen a doctor immediately when I first started showing signs of an illness as a teenager. > > I would’ve double majored in college. In college I felt my goal was to get a degree for a job and get out. So I got a BS in a scientific field. If I could do it again I’d do the same degree plus a BA full of interesting courses that gave me interesting info or good life skills. I would like to know more of your srtory Wesley I would have gone to university. Maybe thought a bit more about marriage. I love my husband, but we really aren’t right for each other. Hard to regret something that gave me my 2 kids though. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/15 "2010-01-23T22:02:59Z")
I would never have gotten in the same zip code as my second wife. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/16 "2010-01-23T22:05:00Z")
I would have gone ahead and pursued the waiver for my poor vision, and entered the Air Force as planned. I would not have gotten distracted by the shiny thing.:smack: God my life could have been so different. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/17 "2010-01-23T23:20:23Z")
I’m noticing a lot of college-related regrets, especially ones related to one’s choice of college major. This makes me nervous, as I’m a twenty-year-old college student… ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/18 "2010-01-23T23:29:19Z")
Choose to be a combat medic for four years instead of a food service specialist for two years. Take (free) University classes and buy a car instead of spending all my money on getting drunk in the army. Gone to the University of Utah in a pre-med program instead of Utah Valley Community College as a psych major. Mostly not use drugs and seek help for bipolar disorder in my youth. And catch more of those great punk rock shows we had in SLC in the 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/19 "2010-01-23T23:53:42Z")
> [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](#): > > I’m noticing a lot of college-related regrets, especially ones related to one’s choice of college major. This makes me nervous, as I’m a twenty-year-old college student… Probably because college is the first time in people’s lives where they are consciously making major life decisions. High school is pretty much a rigid program and you pretty much are stuck going to whatever high school is in your town. There is an assumption that the decisions you make those first 4 years after high school - go/don’t go to college, which college, major, etc - set your life on an inalterable trajectory. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092/20 "2010-01-24T00:17:45Z")
If I had a 2nd go at it? I would ask out the one girl I had a huge crush on in High School. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-live-your-life-if-you-had-a-second-go-at-it/526092.md?page=2)