19 Things In Your Twenties You Wish You'd Done Differently

    If only you knew then what you know now.

    Mike Spohr
    by Mike Spohr

    BuzzFeed Staff

    A Reddit thread asked, "What would you change if you could be 21 again?" These were the most common answers.

    1. Being afraid to get serious with the right person.

    Fox / Via blog.zap2it.com

    “I’d commit to a relationship with my best friend instead of thinking I could do better," one person said. "I may never find a better person than her.”

    2. Taking back a cheating ex.

    Lisa S. / Via shutterstock.com

    When you’re young you often don’t realize that if a relationship is problematic, you can get out of it. Bad relationships can improve — sometimes — but you shouldn’t bet your life on it.

    3. Putting more time and effort into relationships than your education and career.

    CBS / Via uowblogs.com

    Many people agreed that focusing all of their energy on a relationship, instead of on getting ahead, was a mistake.

    4. Studying the wrong major.

    Flickr: quinnanya

    It may seem like it’s too late to change majors at 21, but it’s a lot easier than going back to school later in life, or suffering through 40 years of the wrong career.

    5. Not making goals for the future.

    TLC / Via blogger.com

    You may feel like you have all the time in the world when you’re 21, but if you take too long to get started you could wake up at 30 in the same place you were at 21.

    6. Being lazy.

    Fox / Via giphy.com

    No one ever looks back at how much time they spent vegging on the couch and thinks, Time well spent! They do, however, wish they’d started a band, traveled the country, started their own business, met more people…

    7. Avoiding all things risky or adventurous.

    9gag.com

    Though there’s something to be said about making it to an older age in one piece, many people wished they’d done things like buy a motorcycle or skydive "instead of listening to the people who talked me out of it.”

    8. Spending money on things instead of experiences.

    Flickr: caesarsebastian

    You won’t have the same technologies or clothing you have now in 10–15 years, but you will remember the experiences you give yourself.

    9. Digging yourself into a hole of debt.

    Flickr: smemon

    Credit card companies specifically target the young because they know they’re more likely to charge things when they shouldn’t. Getting out from under debt later in life can be very difficult — and negatively impact your credit score.

    10. Buying real estate before establishing a stable living.

    Universal Pictures / Via imgur.com

    A number of people wished they'd waited to be in a better position to pay for, and care for, real estate. It’s stressful enough later, when you’re more established.

    11. Being out of shape.

    ABC

    People also wished they’d made it a priority to get fit when their body was at an age when it would respond the most.

    12. Dressing like a slob.

    Dave Clark Digital Photo / Via shutterstock.com

    Many people wished they’d presented themselves better to the world when they were young and fresh-faced. One person lamented that "a lot of missed opportunities came from looking like slob.”

    13. Drinking too much.

    reddit.com

    Drinking in moderation is fun, but drinking too much can lead to horrible mistakes, wasted time, and addiction issues that are very hard to get out from under.

    14. Caring too much about being cool.

    Flickr: crapdelacrap

    Another common regret was not living the way you really wanted to because you feared looking uncool.

    15. Worrying so much.

    Flickr: stuartpilbrow

    Life only gets harder as you age and responsibilities grow. That’s why many people wished they didn’t fret so much when they were young.

    16. Acting arrogant and invincible.

    Comedy Central / Via comedycentral.tumblr.com

    Many people were embarrassed by how cocky they were before they’d lived a little and realized they weren’t as special as they thought.

    17. Being a bad parent.

    MTV / Via theashleysrealityroundup.com

    Being a parent is hard at any age, but it’s especially difficult when you’re young. Many (but not all) of the people who'd had kids by 21 wished they’d waited.

    18. Not maintaining your friendships.

    NBC

    It gets harder to make new friends as you age, so making long-lasting friendships when you’re young is important.

    19. Not investing in Google.

    Flickr: keso

    Can't argue with this one.