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kidderek
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Three Regrets 07 Oct 2007, 00:21
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aurobindo
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Attending business school.

Ru serious? Can u please tell us why?
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I'm going to guess that that's a joke.
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daszero
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Three Regrets 04 Apr 2008, 07:13
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I am glad to see that I am not the only whacko who wants to climb mount everest. I did climb the last 200ft or so of Mt Crested Butte last month to ski down and man ill tell you that flatlanders need quite a bit of acclimatization. I could feel it at 12000ft.. Wtf?

Anyway here are some regrets, as I am starting the application process.

1). Should have studied a tad more for the GMAT. I felt like I felt points on the table. At least should have started taking tests a lot earlier than 5 days before the exam.

2). More volunteer activities.

3). I should have at least tried to implement one of my ideas for a product/web solution.
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kryzak
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Three Regrets 04 Apr 2008, 10:14
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wow, I forgot about this thread...

My new 3 regrets:

- Applying to Stanford
- Not Applying to Stanford
- Applying to Stanford...

I'm just confused. :lol:
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nick_sun
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Three Regrets 04 Apr 2008, 11:34
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Ha-ha-ha :)

My regret remains - I am missing this season (April-May) as well.

See the gates to 10-30 minutes of pure paradise on the summit (till the conscience comes back to you and you realize that you still need to climb it down) :)

https://www.mountain.ru/photo/01-2005/ev ... ama%20.jpg
(more detailed here - https://www.mountain.ru/photo/2004/everest/alb.shtml)

I will not be myself if I don't do this one day (maybe, without O2 :pilot).
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Three Regrets Updated on: 23 Sep 2008, 22:19
Originally posted by flood on 04 Apr 2008, 11:55.
Last edited by flood on 23 Sep 2008, 22:19, edited 2 times in total.
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PEtoMBA
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Three Regrets 04 Apr 2008, 12:29
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I find most regrets aren't really regrets when you look at them the right way. My "regrets":

1. I should have gone to Princeton, not Cornell. Grade inflation is a big help in the GPA department. However, had I gone to Princeton I would have never met my wife. She makes me happier than admission to any b-school would have.

2. I should have realized I was not going to make a living as a runner and concentrated less on putting in the miles and more on studying. However, if I hadn't put in those miles I can't imagine all the sunrises & sunsets I wouldn't have seen, and all the wonderful trails I wouldn't have explored. I also I wouldn't be able to enjoy still weighing 145lbs at 5'11" and nearly 30 of age. (Plus a top 100 finish at the NYC marathon probaly helped make-up somewhat for my crappy GPA).

3. I should have realized I wasn't Bill Gates, and that the dotcom boom was too good to be true. If I hadn't been so busy teaching myself to code and trying to launch my own web-based business, maybe I wouldn't have gotten a D in Thermodynamics or a C in Differential Equations. However, it was my ability to manage a database that got me promoted from temp to full time at my first real civil engineering job.

There's no right or wrong choices (except those that are immoral or unethical) and there is no one correct path in life, no matter what admissions commitees think.
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Three Regrets 04 Apr 2008, 14:59
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Carpe Diem...I regret all those amazing girls I saw on campus during ugrad that I never had the balls to just walk up and introduce myself to (after graduation you realize how unappealing the general population is :roll: ). I regret not engaging more in class debates for fear of looking like an idiot even though I knew I would have been right. I regret not running for student office. I regret not applying myself 100% in any class I have ever taken. My gpa is fine...but I did a lot of procastinating and all night cramming. I once spent 22 hours in front of a computer screen (I didn't eat, I only got up to piss and smoke cigarettes) to finish a final paper....I got an A...but had I applied myself from the beginning, I would have walked away with more than just a letter on a piece of paper.

Ahh...I really have too many regrets to even mention...hahaha. Now is the time for change, and for me it begins with the GMAT.
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Three Regrets 04 Apr 2008, 17:41
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1) not finding out about MBA's, its potential value and its applications process earlier. Had to do all my applications, study for GMAT, school research within 2 months, whilst looking after my kid and working on a high profile product which launched globally on the day of my GMAT exam :shock: i.e. prepare more and give myself more time.

2) Studied a little bit harder at undergrad level. In my final year, my attendance rate dropped to below 33%. I don't want to say i wanted to study a lot harder, because a lot of the extra curricular stuff i did, ended up making my application more diverse and put me into the position i am in today. Just regret taking too much time off.

3) Tough one this last one... but i was offered a team leader position back in 2000. My career would have spun off in a different tangent if i had taken it. I elected to go technical instead. However going technical allowed me to move to Japan (It was my technical skills they wanted). So its a toughie to know if i really regret this or not.
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Three Regrets 04 Apr 2008, 17:58
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1. Last year at the time when I was writing my essays, I had an interesting opportunity to work with Mckinsey (on their IT systems). I decided that a role there would take away too much of my time from applications process. On hindsight, a role there + recommendations from someone at Mckinsey might have made a huge difference to my profile. Pedigree does matter :(

2. Not spending enough time on GMAT preparation. While I ended up with a good score, I know that I could have done better had I spent a little bit more time preparing for it. In the end, an extra 30 points could have made a huge difference to my profile and some WLs may just have been admits.

3. Not spending more time in the US visiting other schools. To interview for Chicago, I flew down from Australia to the US. However, I only spent a week in America. I feel that I should have spent an extra two weeks getting to know other potential schools better. However, because of a tight schedule and because of overconfidence (I thought admit was a cinch if I interviewed on campus) , I never bothered to visit any other schools. On hindsight, visiting other schools would have helped me with my applications next year.
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carlson2010
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Three Regrets 04 Apr 2008, 23:18
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1. Not giving a damn about my future during high school and the first 2 years of college. I was drinking and partying when I should have been studying...really screwed up my overall GPA.
2. When I did start caring about my future during the second 2 years of college, I decided to totally foot the bill on my own without loans. Because I was working full time and going to school full time, I really missed out on the "collegiate experience", which meant no clubs or participation in any sort of extra curricular activities.
3. Besides those two, I really don' t have any other regrets. My life has taken a few crazy turns, but I think I am a better person for it.
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Three Regrets 05 Apr 2008, 08:15
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1. I think I chose the wrong major in my undergrad studies - I didn't put enough thought into my decision. After studying sports management and working in collegiate athletics for a year after graduation, I realized that I made a mistake and left that career for one in marketing. Looking back on my four years in college, I wish I would have earned some sort of business degree.

2. I also wish that I wouldn't have spent so much time in my current career. Professional services marketing and business development has been a great learning experience, but after 7 years I feel that I have been pigeon-holed. I wish I would have realized this earlier and made a switch to something else. I don't regret the decision to go back to business school...just that I wish I had a more well-rounded background.

3. Wish I would have applied earlier - although not sure if my experience helped me get in this year.
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helg
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Three Regrets 06 Apr 2008, 01:18
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1. Giving up studying Spanish after 1st year. I really enjoyed the language, much more than French, which I took up studying during my second year. Now I don't speak either :(

2. Not being involved in extracurricular activities enough, especially in sports.

3. Not pursuing serious internship/part-time job opportunities. I was too much of a slacker back then. Still am, at times :roll:
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Jann
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Three Regrets 06 Apr 2008, 22:20
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1. Volunteering more. I just feel that there is so much I could have done until work, social, mba applics got in the way. This is more of a quarter-life crisis regret than an MBA applic regret (but of coz it would have helped more in my applics!)

2. Studying harder to get a scholarship to study in the States for undergrad. I got into UMich but coz of $$$, I stayed in SE Asia to do my undergrad. I got a full ride there but hearing about all the wonderful experiences that my friends had, I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous although they are bonded to the organisations for a few years. But now, i'm on my waay to those experiences too! :)

3. Meeting guys who were a waste of time (yes, too much focus in this topic about girls). Undergrad was fine but I thought that I achieved more at work during the times i wasn't in a r/s. But well, every relationship teaches you something.

Of coz here, i'm just talking about things I can change, not like choosing to be borned into a rich family and not having to care about student loans! :-D
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Three Regrets 07 Apr 2008, 05:35
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Although it was supposed to be 3 regrets, I'm going with 5:

1 - I should have studied more English when I was a kid, I didn’t realize at that time how important this would be for me, and I skipped many private school classes I had. Fortunately I caught up in time, but still I’d be speaking much better had I studied more when I was a kid;

2 – Although I have a decent GPA (among the best 17% of class), still with more efforts in my final 2 years (I have a down GPA trend as I focused on my internships) I could possibly be among the Top 10%;

3 – I should have done some Extra Curricular/Social Works when I moved abroad this would have not only given me a better profile but also made me a better person, nevertheless I don’t regret that I took advantage to travel around Europe, and I can say that I’ve been to more places and known more cultures than I could possibly imagine 5 years ago;

4 – I shouldn’t have stopped working out when I moved to Europe, now I have 3 months to get in shape, it’s going to be harder to go with you guys to the Everest :-D ;

5 – I wish I had the guts to apply earlier, with 29-30 years, many schools get more picky with the profile.

Having said all that, especially the last part I don’t regret too much, because I wouldn’t lived many things in did in my life, and perhaps I wouldn’t met the amazingly incredible people I’ve been meeting here.
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Three Regrets 07 Apr 2008, 07:51
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lets see....

#1) Not caring about my future as well during my h.s. and college years. Now, I'm kicking myself in the butt trying to get into b-school.

#2) Staying at my first job too long and hating it. It was not what I wanted to do but it was my first "official" job out of college so I was excited....at the moment.

#3) hmmm...wasting 4 & a half years...my youth and precious years of my life that i will never get back with someone that is ... we won't go there :-D
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TimeSquareDesi
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Three Regrets 07 Apr 2008, 08:33
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#1 - Not caring much about college during HS and my years after HS that followed... Was so busy and actually obsessed with trying to make money... I mean... I actually started my career in HS, and have been working in a very prominent position for the past 8 years now (since I was 20)... so I can't say that my past was a mistake. I just wish that along with my excellent career progression, that I should have focused on getting all A's in my classes as opposed to my "anything that is a D or above is okay" approach =(

#2 - Choosing Computer Science as a major... I never thought that such an intense study such as Comp Sci (intensive quantative + programming requirements) would be so looked down at in the years following. Obviously, it depends on the school you went to, etc, but for the many that recieved Comp Sci degrees from tiny schools, the job market has not been very receptive towards us. I am naturally good in Math and feel that I should have stuck with what I was good at during High School - I was in the Humanities program and took several Advanced English classes during all 4 years.

#3 - Overall, not listening to my parents. I mean, they did not know much about the education system here in the US, but they always said "work hard in school." I didn't want to listen to them, I wanted financial gratification through hard work vs. through the 'proper channels' IE getting a degree, etc.

I mean, I have proven that you can earn good money w/o a degree, but I feel that not focusing so much on school before was a blantant waste of time. I feel that if you're going to put your time into achieving a goal, you should be putting all your effort into it. My GPA for the last couple of semesters has been north of a 3.7 for approx. 30 credits. My lowest grade was a B.... and I'm going to keep it this way from now on :-D

But you live and you learn. At least I am correcting my mistakes now, although it may be too late.
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Three Regrets 07 Apr 2008, 10:42
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1. Not study SAT super hard. Could've got into a super school.
2. Didn't know there is such thing called Investment Banking until I'm like 24. (what kind closed world am I in? Isn't engineer the most awesome person in the world? :?: But, if I didn't major in EE, I probably won't met my wonderful husband. But, I probably met him in some BB Banks :oops: daydreaming )
3. Should've gone to classes in college, instead of hanging out with loser ex-bf (who we shall not mention ever again)
4. Should've done a lot more volunteer work to make a difference instead of partying Wed - Sun. 99% of the partying I don't even remember, except rare moments like in the emergency room for alcohol poisoning the night before my DSP exam.
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daszero
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Three Regrets 08 Apr 2008, 09:38
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nick_sun
Ha-ha-ha :)

My regret remains - I am missing this season (April-May) as well.

See the gates to 10-30 minutes of pure paradise on the summit (till the conscience comes back to you and you realize that you still need to climb it down) :)

https://www.mountain.ru/photo/01-2005/ev ... ama%20.jpg
(more detailed here - https://www.mountain.ru/photo/2004/everest/alb.shtml)

I will not be myself if I don't do this one day (maybe, without O2 :pilot).
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Dude!
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KingKREEP
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Three Regrets 08 Apr 2008, 11:05
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nick_sun


https://www.mountain.ru/photo/01-2005/ev ... ama%20.jpg
(more detailed here - https://www.mountain.ru/photo/2004/everest/alb.shtml)

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Ah...the Sagarmatha - the Godess of the sky...someday....
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nick_sun
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Three Regrets 08 Apr 2008, 12:29
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KingKREEP
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https://www.mountain.ru/photo/01-2005/ev ... ama%20.jpg
(more detailed here - https://www.mountain.ru/photo/2004/everest/alb.shtml)


Ah...the Sagarmatha - the Godess of the sky...someday....
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The mountain so high that no bird can fly over it.... This passion lives in people ranging from teenagers to really old ones who choose the climb and who can sacrifice a lot to get there.
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