Sometimes, memories of the past prevent us from moving forward. We may be caught up in the good memories that made us happy, or we may suffer from regret. The truth is that there is nothing we can do to change the past; we can only reflect on the past, acknowledge what made us sad or happy, and embrace this as a part of growing up. The Granite Tower (GT) asked four students at Korea University (KU) if they would re-live a chapter of their life if given a chance.

Kang Kyuhyun (’20, Business Administration)

If I could go back to the past, which moment should I return to? Of course, I have regretful memories of the past as well as happy ones. However, even if I could go back to the past, I would choose not to. I have come to the conclusion that who I am at present would not exist if it were not for the experiences that I had in the past, whether they were good or bad ones. Therefore, rather than going back to the past, I would choose to commit to the present.

Baek Seung-hee (’18, English Language and Literature)

Looking back on my life, I think I have done most of the things that I wanted to do. However, there is one time in my life that I wish to return to: the three months of freedom prior to entering university. Back then, I only focused on giving myself a break from studying. Thinking back now, I regret not having used that time more wisely. If I could go back, I would go on a trip just for myself. If I had done so back then, I think I would have had the chance to learn a little bit more about myself before becoming an adult.

Maja Popovic (’19, Architecture)

The younger Maja wasted the first year of primary school trying to please people that would never appreciate her friendship. There are so many people that I am lucky to have in my life at this moment—people who are genuine, caring, and all kinds of wonderful. Being with them feels so good and comfortable, there is no pretense and no games, just trust and mutual acceptance. Therefore, I wish that I could restart that chapter of my life knowing that the right people are coming my way; I just have to be courageous to go out of my comfort zone and let us find each other.

Lee Jun Suk (’16, Health and Environmental Science)

When I first entered university, all of my expectations about campus life were shattered instantly. Most students were silent and lifeless during lectures, but when classes were over, alcohol energized them. As I quickly assimilated into this community, I met a variety of people. The majority of them were very friendly, but some were not. Unfortunately, I tried my best to become friends with the latter and become one of them. If only I had known how toxic these people were ahead of time, I would not have humiliated myself. I know that people make mistakes and they learn valuable lessons from them, but I believe this experience was totally unnecessary. There were less harmful ways to learn that not everybody becomes your friend, but I was blind.