Maybe not quite a scientist, but I’m a GP, and that’s exactly what I’m planning to do when I retire.
FWIW, my post-high school path : med. school, maths & computer science, electronics, English, translation.
I’m barely entering the “real world”. I wish I could start yet another college program (Music, Chinese, History or Journalism), but my parents are fed up with paying for education that doesn’t lead to a job 
I wouldn’t go back and study literature exactly, but rather I’d go back to study languages, linguistics, explore the relationship between languages, how they’ve evolved, what their common ancestors are and things like that…
Do I get to be 18 again?
Seriously. The single nicest thought of getting my last degree was “Never take another exam or write another paper again! YES!!”
I’ve never been happier than the moment I realized I was done being a student. (Of course I’d been a student for an inordinately long period–I took the last degree at age 32, and I had to write many papers since then as I chose to publish rather than perish.) But I would LOVE to get a re-do on college, having wasted more opportunity to actually learn stuff than anyone I know.
It took me almost two years to get it partly through my thick head that I was being offered more than the chance to take some phony BS degree, but that this was, instead, a chance to discuss great and difficult books with experts. Really I didn’t fully grasp that idea until I was most of the way through my final degree.
I would, in a heartbeat. There are a lot of skills I missed the first time that I would love to pick up to make myself more employable.
Robin
Well let me be the first to say no I wouldn’t.
I did my time in school and I did just fine (cum laude, honors). I did a journalism degree and at Kent State that meant you had a really diverse course load. I thought that was awesome.
I graduated and didn’t go in to journalism. Instead I learned a whole bunch of stuff on my own and started my own business. My business is quite successful (not rolling in money but I do ok) and I learn new stuff every day. I’ll guarantee you I know more useful stuff (for my business) than someone who took a 4-year course for “web design” or “programming.”
I don’t think that college is bad and I am so glad I went and graduated. But I don’t feel the need to go back whatsoever. I am quite relieved to be done.
Yes. The bitterest regret of my life is my lack of education.
I probably wouldn’t.
I liked college a lot, but I can’t see any real reason to go back. It’d have to be for a doctorate, and I’m not really interested in one, especially since my main interest – writing – has little use for one.
Oh hell yeah. My parents badgered me to go into medicine, and since they were paying, I had no choice. But they yanked their financial support in the last year (long story) and I never finished, plus I didn’t enjoy any of it.
I’d go back and major in English, or maybe languages.
There’s a big difference there. A survivable yearly allowance? No. I already have an MBA and I make too much money.
Keep my current bloated salary and go back and get a law degree or something? Sure. Why not?
I’d love to.
More history, perhaps - or even law school. (I’m a landman, which is a little bit like a lawyer…I can see that I’d be pretty good at it)
Or anthropology.
If I could go back and be 18 again but with the benefit of hindsight, yeah, I’d gladly do it over, only taking different classes, double-majoring in history, and writing the honors thesis I should have written the first time around. I loved the academic side of college and most of the social stuff as well, and right off the top of my head I can think of about three semesters’ worth of classes that I wish I had taken but didn’t have time.
That said, I don’t think I’d want to go back and be the same silly, socially awkward 18-year-old that I’d be without the benefit of hindsight; nor do I have any desire to start over and get a BA in history now that I’m 32 and have a PhD in a different field. There’s a time and a season for everything.
Ah, but. . been there, done that. And I’d still go back in a second, to grab an attractive “useful” degree, like an MFA in graphic design or an MLIS, since my “labor of love” degree was delightful but now I have trouble feeding myself in my preferred manner and it would be nice to have a marketable backup skill in case of worst possible scenario.
I sort of have, I’m studying Computing part time, a change from the hated Civil Engineering that I took up full time before.
I wish I had more free time to dedicate to it, but it’s interesting enough as it is.
I have.
I have a degree in biochemistry and worked for a few years and hated it. I couldn’t see myself working in the field I was in for another 40+ years. So after a very long time of research, and narrowing down my real interests, I went back to school last year. I’m currently in my second year (ish - transfer credits screw things up!) of a Mechanical Engineering degree, and I am being supported by my husband while I do so.
I am loving it. The first time through, I did the bare minimum and really only got the degree because I thought I had to get a degree in something, even if I didn’t care for it. Now I know what I want, and I have a much better approach to it and I’m getting much better grades than I did the first time! I don’t regret it at all (although I do tend to have moments of doubt, particularly leading up to my Advanced Calculus final…!)
I’m going to jump on this train. All Aboard!
Sure - at my current salary you bet. I don’t know what for, but I would take this opportunity. I would have to really think about what would improve my job prospects.
No. All in all, I would be better off now if I had not gone to college when I did and I believe that going again would not improve matters any.
I did it. After eight years in “the real world”, I’m in grad school now. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after college, so I spent several years wandering around and working a series of jobs that I hated. Now I’m on a path to the career I want. It’s pretty exciting.
ESPECIALLY because my last paper was due yesterday and I am done done done until January! Two weeks without having to think about policy at all! (Of course I will anyway, I have a book on food policy I’ve been meaning to read for months, and some international relations stuff…but first, I shall read trashy chick lit and watch hulu.)
Yeah, I don’t know if it’s my bitterest regret but it’s right up there.