American Adults Wish They Spent More Time Studying During High School, Survey Suggests

While the end of summer signals a new school year for many children and teens across the U.S., it also provides adults with the chance to reminisce about times past. Recalling memories of their high school years through the lens of their ensuing life experiences, many Americans feel that if they had the chance to do high school all over again they would have spent more time studying and planning for their future, according to a recent national survey sponsored by Classmates.com®.

According to the survey, more than six out of 10 Americans (63 percent) say that if they could “do over” their high school years, they would “think ahead about college or my future.” The second-highest (61 percent) on the list of things to do over is to “study hard” to make “good grades.”

“Since the inception of the online social networks, of which Classmates.com became a pioneer in 1995, we’ve seen periods where people show increased interest in recalling different moments from throughout their lives,” said J. Tomas Gomez-Arias, Transamerica Professor of Marketing and Global Business at Saint Mary’s College of California. “In a challenging economic environment, such retrospective is not only normal, it is amplified as people increase their search for common connection points with friends from their past.”

“During this time of year, it’s only natural to reminisce over our own school days: what we could have done better or wish we had done more,” said Sarah Pynchon, Vice President of Brand Marketing, Classmates Online, Inc. “At the same time, we fondly remember those memories that we share with other members of our class. Classmates.com gives old friends the chance to reconnect – not only with one another, but also with the places and things for which we’re most nostalgic, like the music and games we used to play.”

Socializing vs. Studying

When adult Americans look back on their high school years, the majority of them point to one of two priorities: socializing or studying. Roughly three out of 10 Americans (31 percent) say their top priority in high school was their “social life — being with friends” while “studying so I got good grades” was a close second, named by 28 percent.

Many Americans feel their studies would have improved under the guidance of an inspiring teacher or mentor. According to the survey, more than half of Americans (53 percent) say they wish they had found “a teacher or mentor who believed in me and inspired me.”

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Although the leading regret Americans have about their high school years is not having focused on schoolwork and the future, there are still many others who feel they took their school years too seriously. Roughly half (49 percent) say that if they could do over their high school experience, they would “relax and not sweat the small stuff.”

“More than ever, with the pervasiveness of social networks and the swell of individuals online, there is a real chance for people to look back and relive their memories, rekindle old flames and debates,” explains Gomez-Arias.

According to the survey, 46 percent of Americans wish they had been “brave enough to ask-out someone they had a ‘crush’ on” in high school. This percentage was much higher among men than women (59 percent vs. 35 percent).

“Even if it is just for a few minutes, Classmates.com members have a real opportunity to revisit a place, an event or people that affected their lives,” says Pynchon. “And, regardless of the generation, there’s significant interest in reconnecting with old friends, acquaintances and even love interests online.”

Professor Gomez-Arias is co-author of a recent article in the International Journal of Electronic Business Management: Beyond Monetization: Creating Value Through Online Social Networks.

About Classmates.com

Classmates.com is owned by Classmates Online, Inc., a subsidiary of Classmates Media Corporation. Classmates.com connects millions of members throughout the U.S. and Canada with friends and acquaintances from school, work and the military. Classmates also operates leading social networking sites in Germany (www.stayfriends.de), Austria (www.stayfriends.at), Sweden (www.stayfriends.se), France (www.trombi.com) and Switzerland (www.klassenfreunde.ch). Classmates Media Corporation is a subsidiary of United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNTD). For more information about United Online, please visit www.unitedonline.com.

Methodological Notes:

The Classmates.com survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and older between August 3rd and August 10th, 2009 via telephone using Random Digit Dialing. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population over ages 18 and older.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

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