My Top 5 Regrets at U of T – Dare I say YOLO?

Whenever I reflect on my university career so far, I realize that there’s always something I wish I could have done differently. The paper that should have received more attention. That unnecessary third coffee of the day. The nap that could’ve been. So many regrets. But why do regrets have to be such a bad thing? You only live once. One Aubrey Drake Graham popularized this idea in his song “The motto,” where he coins the term YOLO. I realize it’s not 2011, and I can’t really #YOLO unless I’m doing it ironically, but my point is that if I take our overlord Drake’s word to be true, and I'm only going to live once, then I want to use my mistakes and regrets to better my future self.

No regrets. Just self-improvement. So in my state of self-awareness, I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 regrets during my time so far at U of T: 1. Doing life sciences for a future career I didn’t want – I’m glad I pursued the biology major for a bit, because it really made me think about not just what I was studying but why I was studying it. I took time to research and learn about different programs before finally landing on my current combinations of majors in health studies and bioethics. As for my love of science? Maybe I’ll just stick to watching Bill Nye videos. 2. That one tutorial I skipped in second year that brought my final mark down a partial letter grade – Getting a not-so-stellar grade when you try your best? Acceptable. When it’s because 'it’s only 2%'? Unacceptable. I still cringe when I see that one mark on my transcript. 3. Sacrificing sleep to study – I now make more time during the day to do schoolwork, and I refuse to stay up late unless it’s completely necessary. If you’ve ever had to interact with when I was sleep deprived, I’m sorry. 

4. Blocking social media accounts during midterms to be “less distracted” – Do you know how many notes I had access to at 3 am the night before the exams because of Facebook? Also, a quick scroll through your Twitter timeline or Facebook feed will remind you that you’re not alone. Strength in solidarity! 5.My coffee reliance –  My body is probably 50% pumpkin spice latte at this point. I think this is an appropriate time to use #YOLO.

My regrets shaped who I am today. And I think I'm pretty darn cool. So does my mom. So that counts for something. So tell me, U of T. What do you wish you could have known or done differently, and how has it shaped you?