Regret: The Quiet Disaster That Shapes Our Lives

Written By: Nihilaa V M

Edited By: Aishwarya Sabnis

Illustrated By: Saanvi Nagar

Regret in college is like those late-night Maggi cravings, it will hit you at some point, and you just have to deal with it. Whether it’s not starting that assignment until 3 AM or agreeing to “just one drink” the night before a 9 AM lecture, regret has become our uninvited college roommate. It doesn’t pay rent, but boy, does it make itself at home.

Let’s face it: we’ve all had those moments. You join a club because it “looks great on your résumé” only to realize two meetings in that it’s definitely a cult. And don’t even get me started on exam regrets. There’s the classic why didn’t I start studying earlier? regret, followed closely by why did I waste two hours making a color-coded study schedule instead of actually studying? Procrastination is the sneaky villain that turns every all-nighter into a full-blown existential crisis. By 4 AM, you’re not just questioning your choice of major—you’re questioning life itself. Regret also shows up in the cafeteria line. You think, Pasta again? But by the time you’ve considered the questionable “salad bar” or mystery curry, the pasta feels like the safest bet. Until it doesn’t, and you’re sitting in your next class regretting every bite while praying your stomach doesn’t start a symphony. Then there’s the social side of college—the regrets that come with saying yes when you should’ve said no, and vice versa. Like that one time you skipped a big party to “focus on yourself” and then spent the night watching your friends’ stories wondering why you weren’t out having fun. Or the opposite—agreeing to go out and waking up with a hangover so bad it feels like your brain signed out of its Netflix account.

But you know what? Regret isn’t all bad. It’s like a really annoying TA—it keeps pointing out your mistakes until you learn the material. It’s the reason you start proofreading your emails before sending them to professors. It’s why you finally set that second alarm after missing your 9 AM class for the fourth time. Regret teaches you things no lecture ever will. Like the art of saying no to group projects where you just know you’ll end up doing all the work. Or the life-changing realization that “I’ll wake up early and finish it” is the greatest lie you tell yourself.

College regret is inevitable. It’s part of the messy, glorious chaos of figuring out who you are while juggling deadlines, friendships, and whether you can stretch that last packet of instant noodles another day. The key is not letting it paralyze you. Missed a chance to join the dance team? Shake it off—literally. Bombed a quiz? There’s always another one (unfortunately). So go ahead, take risks, make mistakes, and maybe even regret a few decisions. Those cringy moments, awkward missteps, and facepalm-worthy memories? They’re all part of the adventure. Regret might shape your college life, but it doesn’t have to define it. You’re here to learn, laugh, and, yes, sometimes cringe at your own life choices.

Because one day, when you’re reminiscing with friends, it’s not the perfect grades or well-planned schedules you’ll laugh about. It’ll be that time you spent an entire weekend binging a show instead of preparing for your finals or the night you and your roommate ambitiously decided to cook dinner but, after a minor fire hazard and a kitchen that looked like a crime scene, ended up swiggying instead. Regret is just another flavor of college life. Embrace it. Learn from it. And most importantly, laugh about it—because one day, these so-called disasters will be the plot twists in the best stories you’ll ever tell.

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