24/7 Hotlines: Call or text 988 or text 741741
If you absolutely had to repeat any grade (or grades) throughout your school experience, which would you choose to repeat and why?
If I had to make the choice, I would repeat my high school years, hands down. I would choose these years to repeat because I feel as though if I went in with the knowledge I have now, I would be so much more open to great opportunities and wouldn’t have struggled so much. I got the chance to walk the stage with my town’s high school, but in reality I finished my school work for the last 3 years of school in between hospitals, programs and residentials because things were so difficult. I would honestly re-do all of it, so I could have another chance to create my identity from earlier on, and so I could have more of a chance to enjoy things like sports and the social scene (proms, etc).
TurningPointCT.org was developed by young people in Connecticut who are in recovery from mental health and substance use issues. We know what it’s like to feel alone, stressed, worried, sad, and angry. We’ve lived through the ups and downs of self-harm, drugs and alcohol, and the struggle to find help.
Learn More »
© 2024 TurningPointCT.org. All Rights Reserved.
If i had to repeat anything, it would most certainly be highschool or college. The only thing different I would have done is focused more on sports and on taking care of my body physically. The older I get, the more I realize that being active is getting harder and harder, Life just takes a toll honestly.
Luz, I get why you would choose high school too.. it was such an important time in our lives, especially when we were figuring out who we are and what we wanted to do but sometimes, things do happen for a reason…, the fact that you did get to walk and that you did finish, despite everything going on, says so much about you! I am super proud of you for pushing through and for continuing on. It’s never too late to get into sports or into the social scene… maybe you all can put together a prom? My friend’s sister had a college prom night a few months ago and surprisingly, it looks like it was a great time.
Rai,
To be able to put on an event that would represent something like a prom would mean so much, and would be so much fun all at the same time! I know wholeheartedly that I would enjoy myself more now that I ever would have if I would have went while experiencing all of that distress from before. Here’s to what the future has in store! 🙂
College years. I grew up working so hard to ensure good grades would be my ticket away from the family and into college that a social life was not a priority(other reasons too like [social] anxiety, and seeking external sources to validate my worth)
Once I got away and into college, I could finally BREATHE. So much weight instantly came off my shoulders. Slowly but surely I placed ‘social life’ to a higher priority. In fact too high. I got a social life…a high social life. I was so desperate to have friends I’d be friends with the ‘druggies’ bc they didn’t judge me the way most people in my highschool typically judge. Without judgement and shame, along with drugs, i lost my social anxiety!!
…I also lost myself…and college.
Luckily I CAN go back to college. On different terms, but I’m excited that the opportunity to return to college is always there.
I’m loving all these answers! I would restart college – I went when I was 18 right after high school, but I kinda unraveled shortly after. I wasn’t the same person I am today, so I went and ventured off into the working world. The support wasn’t in place for what I needed at the time.
In some ways, that time of working and gaining experience in multiple jobs has helped me learn what I want and don’t want. But I would have kept taking classes slowly throughout the years instead of completely halting it.
9th grade for sure! That was the year when we all got settled in high school, I got to know my best friends and we were making tough decisions. We started choosing our field of study and it was also the last year in the same class with some of my best friends. I had my best time in high school when I was in 9th grade. After that everything changed. People changed. Life changed. Things went from being fun and crazy to stressful and confusing. But 9th grade brings back some good memories.
I loved highschool and had a blast… so If I could go back in time I would go re live those years. However, if I wanted to change a year and re do it for other reasons, it would be my first year in college. I went to a large college that had so many people in classes and I was really overwhelmed. I wish I went to a community college for the first semester so I could ease my way into college life.