One of the hardest parts of getting older is that we can’t get back some of those fun and exciting moments from our past. Sometimes nostalgia for the past hits out of nowhere, and once it does, it’s hard to shake off. For many people, though, there seems to be a particular time that they wish they could transport back to. A Talker Research survey found that most adults yearn for a redo when it comes to those good old college days.

College is special. It’s when you shed your childhood insecurities and really start to figure out who you are and what you want out of life. The nonsensical drama from high school is replaced with real growth and learning. It’s also just a whole lot of fun. It’s not really surprising that so many adults want to go back.

People want to go back and redo college.

There’s a reason that, regardless of age, people love to reminisce about college. Graduates will buy and wear college merch, cheer on their college team, and even help college alumni with whom they have no connection other than the school. Is it any wonder that, according to Talker Research, more than a third of Americans (38%) would redo their college experience if they could? 

The survey of 2,000 respondents was split into two groups: those who never got a degree and those who did. Interestingly enough, researchers found that both groups would jump at the chance to go back in time and experience college either again or for the first time.

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Many people want the opportunity to explore a different career path and make more money.

Nearly a quarter of people (22%) wanted to go back to college because they were interested in pursuing a new degree, and 30% wanted another certification to their current career. What’s truly wild is that the survey found that one in four didn’t want to go back to college as 18-year-olds fresh out of high school; they wanted to do it now! 

The reasons why people are yearning for their college years back weren’t that surprising. Most people said it’s because they’ve experienced a major life event, including illness or family loss (41%), changing jobs or careers (37%), or moving within their state (24%). On top of that, a third of employed respondents said the current job market made them want to redo college so they could get a degree that would better serve them.

“Now driven by the infusion of technology in every industry, the job market has gone through rapid change over the past several years, causing the skills that professionals need to succeed in the workplace to also evolve,” explained Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker, president of Colorado State University Global. “As a high-demand skill a few years ago may be different today, it is important to continually refresh your understanding of how different industries and their needs have evolved, so staying current through reskilling or upskilling is key to maintaining a competitive edge.”

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A majority of people said they wanted to go back so they could ‘savor’ the college experience more than they did the first time around.

The one thing about college that a lot of people miss is the strong community aspect of being there. There’s no other time in your life where you’ll live either three seconds or five minutes away from your friends, whether you’re on the same floor in your dorm building or living down the street from each other.

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As adults, many people are yearning for a sense of closeness with their friends. In college, getting that connection was almost effortless. We didn’t have to deal with fitting hangouts into our busy adult schedules. Unfortunately, though, time travel has yet to be invented, meaning as much as we might wish to go back for whatever reason, it’s simply not possible.

But what is possible is bringing some of that energy into our present lives. We can be more intentional about connecting with friends, maybe going back to school, or taking some online classes if you’re trying to switch careers or just make more money in your current field, or even just allowing yourself to try new things for the sake of it — just for fun.

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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.