Everyone does it. They look back. They wind back the clock. And they wince at their mistakes: the opportunities they lost, the time they squandered, and the fun they missed.
In The Office, Cornell alum Andy Bernard sums up the sentiment best: “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” For many MBAs, business school is the essence of living your best life. They’re meeting fascinating people, adopting new routines, and wrestling with mind-bending ideas. After the grind of gaining practical experience and building a respected brand, MBAs can slow down and reflect, recharging in a world that’s as familiar as it is fresh.
That doesn’t mean they didn’t bring their bad habits and quixotic expectations with them.
WILL A GRADE REALLY MATTER IN THE LONG RUN?
Deanna Portero, Johns Hopkins (Carey)
Take Kyle Schembechler, who developed artillery training for the U.S. Army. Two years ago, he came to Ohio State’s Fisher College with “a bit of a competitive mindset,” he admits. He tied success to keeping pace with his classmates and landing an internship early. Turns out, Schembechler says, he had concentrated on the wrong priorities.
“Different companies and industries just happen to recruit on different timelines. It really is a waste of time and energy to compare yourself to others; everybody is running their own race. Focus on finding the right fit that fires you up – the things that make you excited to get out of bed in the morning – and the rest will fall in place.”
Deanna Portero also acknowledges that she prioritized the wrong return when business school started in 2023. In her case, she focused on high grades over strong relationships at the Johns Hopkins University Carey School. Over time, she decided to “scale back” on her academic ambitions in lieu of growing her network.
“You really have a limited time to connect with your classmates while you’re here,” she adds. “The value of completing a written assignment to get the A instead of the B+ is not that valuable, assuming that you are still walking away with the essential knowledge and the respect of your classmates and professors.”
“YOU BLINK AND IT’S OVER”
Julian Sutton, New York University (Stern)
In many cases, the Class of 2025 already understood that business school would be the time of their lives. They just didn’t anticipate how quickly that time would pass. That’s why many wished they could’ve found ways to enjoy the experience a little more and make it last a little longer.
“Time flies in b-school. You blink and it’s over,” writes Julian Sutton, a Deloitte hire who graduated from New York University’s Stern School this spring. “So much is thrown at you right out of the gate, and it’s easy to get lost in the chaos. I’ve had such great experiences, met so many incredible people, and learned more than I ever could’ve imagined. If I started it all over, I would just savor each one of those moments even more.”
Earlier this spring, P&Q ask this year’s Best & Brightest MBAs and MBAs To Watch to share their biggest regrets. From competing in case competitions to developing relationships with professors, here are the areas where the Class of 2025 wished they had invested more time.
1) Didn’t Prioritize Self-Care: “Before business school, I had established a good sense of normalcy and routine in New York City, but once the program started, I let all of that go. I think I got caught up in the whirlwind of responsibilities and opportunities. As a result, I neglected time for myself. It became increasingly difficult to find balance, and I paid the price mentally, physically, and spiritually. If I could go back, I’d be more intentional about saying “no” to some things and carving out time for self-care, whether that meant resting, exercising, or just stepping away from the chaos. In hindsight, I see how critical that balance is, and how much better I could have performed overall with a clearer mind and healthier body.”
Gabrielle Darko, Columbia Business School
2) Should’ve Devoted More Time to Getting to Know My Classmates: “Balancing internships, leadership roles, club involvement, and building a startup meant I often had to compromise on social time. Yale SOM is filled with incredibly smart, talented, and diverse individuals, and I regret not having more opportunities to connect with and learn from them outside of structured settings. If I could do it again, I would prioritize more informal conversations and shared experiences to fully appreciate the unique perspectives within the SOM community.”
Austin Cai, Yale School of Management
Jill Howland, University of Virginia (Darden)
“Looking back, one thing I would do differently during my MBA is leverage small moments to connect with others. During my summer internship, a mentor shared the advice to “never lunch alone,” emphasizing that even with a busy schedule, meals can be an easy way to maintain and strengthen relationships. Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to use lunch as a chance to reconnect with classmates, professors, and colleagues in a relaxed setting. Moving forward, I plan to carry this mindset with me, finding more opportunities to both build and maintain meaningful connections in everyday moments.”
Jill Howland, University of Virginia (Darden)
3) Wasn’t Intentional Enough with My Decisions: “While I believe setbacks are opportunities for growth and don’t see regrets as productive, I’ve realized that during my first year, I often moved from one activity to another without a clear strategy. This has sometimes led to less meaningful engagements. While I was able to course-correct in my second year, I still found myself juggling numerous commitments, jumping from one big project to the next.
Although this has been incredibly fulfilling, I have at times felt stretched thin and wish I had spent more time reflecting before taking on new projects. This realization has pushed me to be more intentional with my time, turning down opportunities—from club engagements to social activities—that don’t align with my priorities. It’s also something I’ve been actively working on with my executive coach, focusing on how to balance ambition with intentionality. More importantly, I’ve learned that saying “no” isn’t about missing out—it’s about creating space for the things that truly energize me. By prioritizing depth over breadth, I’ve found more fulfillment in my experiences, whether that’s deepening relationships, making a greater impact in the commitments I do take on, or simply giving myself time to recharge. This shift in mindset is something I’ll carry forward long after Wharton.”
Aarati Cohly, Wharton School
Bidisha Sarkar, University of Toronto (Rotman)
4) Didn’t Always Live in the Moment: “Looking back, I’d definitely take it easy and let myself fully savor the MBA ride. Instead of constantly chasing deadlines and perfecting spreadsheets, I’d balance the hustle with moments of relaxation—maybe swapping a few more all-nighters for extended coffee breaks and impromptu chats with classmates. After all, some of the best ideas emerge when you’re not glued to your laptop, but simply enjoying the unexpected twists of life at business school.”
Bidisha Sarkar, University of Toronto (Rotman)
“I would have been more intentional about slowing down and enjoying the journey. The MBA experience moves fast, and it’s easy to get caught up in the next deadline, the next opportunity, or the next milestone. If I could do it again, I would take more time to appreciate the incredible friendships, the late-night brainstorming sessions, and the small, everyday moments that make business school so special.” Carolyn Taylor, University of Texas (McCombs)
5) Missed Out on Case Competitions: “While I took part in a few, and even organized one, I now realize how valuable they are for sharpening problem-solving skills, pushing creativity, and working under pressure. Case comps give you a chance to tackle real-world problems in a team environment and get feedback from industry experts. Plus, they’re a great way to connect with students from other schools and industries. I wish I’d taken on more of these challenges to gain even more hands-on experience and further built my confidence in presenting solutions in front of a crowd.”
Maitri Taneja, Rutgers Business School
6) Fell Prey to Imposter Syndrome: “If I were to re-do my MBA experience, I would tell myself to let go of all the self-doubts I had in the beginning. Coming into Kelley, I often felt the weight of imposter syndrome, questioning whether I truly belonged among such accomplished peers. Instead of fully embracing the experience, I second-guessed myself overanalyzing every decision rather than trusting my abilities. Over these past two years, working alongside my classmates, pushing through challenges, and celebrating wins – big and small – has proved to me that I absolutely belong. I have grown in confidence, taken on leadership roles, and realized that I can keep up with the best of them. If I had embraced this mindset earlier, I know I would have made even bolder choices, taken more risks, and maximized every opportunity from day one. That is the advice I’d give to my past self, and to anyone just starting their MBA journey.”
Aakriti Goyal, Indiana University (Kelley)
Duncan Holzhall, EDHEC Business School
7) Didn’t Spend Enough Time with Career Services Team: “They did a tremendous job providing insights into big picture trends and best practices in job-seeking, negotiations, and career development to the entire cohort. Given my unique goals and trajectory, I wish I had used the full breadth of their services from the very beginning. They are paid to help you build your career, so take advantage of them!”
Duncan Holzhall, EDHEC Business School
8) Kept Comparing Myself to Others: “One thing I would do differently is not be as worried in my first semester about the way my MBA experience was panning out in comparison to others. This may require actions like paying less attention to Instagram, being more intentional about who you hang out with, and understanding why you are saying “yes.” Everyone has different goals and is in different phases of life coming into the MBA, and there are so many ways you can build your MBA experience. In hindsight, it was just unnecessary to waste that energy in comparing myself to others, and two years in, I’m so happy with my MBA path.”
Katherine Kiang, UC Berkeley (Haas)
9) Stressed Academics Too Much: “I would expand how I think about learning from a classroom context to a people focus. We’ve all been in school before, so we’re familiar with how academia works, why homework exists, and the purpose of exams. That mindset defined and thus inherently limited how I managed my time. It led me to prioritize course content, deliverables, and grades. Because of that, it took me a while to recognize how that focus was distracting from learning from my classmates and their incredible breadth of experience. After realizing that, I became more flexible and intentional in connecting with people as friends first, classmates second. If I had a do-over, I would have taken the time to reflect on what I wanted learning to look like before I began this MBA program, rather than accepting the initial familiar structure.”
Elizabeth Sun, Cornell University (Johnson)
10) Should’ve Scheduled Workouts for the Morning: “I’d build my routine around morning workout classes instead of afternoon ones. A typical business school day doesn’t “end” like a day at the office; there’s always a group meeting or guest speaker or event that pops up after class, which made it super hard to keep to an afternoon exercise regimen. I wish I’d recognized this early-on and built my daily schedule up from morning workouts instead of counting on afternoon free time to exercise in.”
Aaron Altabet, University of Washington (Foster)
Next Page: Regrets and Advice from Graduates of the Wharton School, IIM Ahmedabad, UC Berkeley, London Business School, and More!