# What would you do differently?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-differently/226991>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 1, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-differently/226991 "2004-02-01T03:41:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-differently/226991/41 "2004-02-12T04:48:49Z")

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I would have realized much sooner (than the final semester) that I don’t really want to teach English, so I could have switched to straight English with an Education minor. If I’d done that, I’d probably have gone to grad school and become a certified elementary teacher by now, instead of what I do now. (oddly enough, it does use my silly English-teaching degree…but I’m paid worse than a teacher. At least most of them get health insurance and steady hours ☹ ) Of course, I could still be miserable, who can say?

I’d have realized _that guy_ wasn’t the one for me sooner, and my self-esteem would be better for realizing he didn’t feel that way because of orientation, not something I did wrong.

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**Author:** ![Empress\_Jolrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Empress\_Jolrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Empress_Jolrael)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-differently/226991/42 "2004-02-12T15:35:12Z")

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I would have told my parents that I was bored at school in fifth grade rather than in tenth. It could have saved me five underachieving years.

Barring that, I would have asked for lessons in a foreign language or two during those five years.

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**Author:** ![Jane\_D\_oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@Jane\_D\_oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_D_oh)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-differently/226991/43 "2004-02-12T17:30:06Z")

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I would change a few things.

Firstly I spent my very late teens and very early twenties doing some hurtful, self absorbed type things. I still cringe when I think of them. I’ve made peace with those I hurt, but I would rather I had not done those things.

I would have made sure I kept in touch with friends I made along the way.

I would have made it home for more holidays when I was living away from home.

Maybe I would have thought about marriage more seriously when I was in my early thirties. It was never and I mean **never** on my radar screen.

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