In the Eastern system, young people are restrained. They are fearful of thinking outside the box -- so much so that by the time they arrive at college, most find it hard to even conceive doing so. Thus, in college, they don't have the tools for being adventurous learners let alone possessing the autonomous time management skills to incorporate a healthy social life with a thriving academic one. The result is that they often shy away from socializing to "stick with what they know," which is focused rote learning and keeping their noses buried in their books.

In the Western system, students have been given so much freedom early on they often don't know how to align with the institutional education system for achievement within parameters. When they reach university, they don't have the tools for being studious let alone the autonomous time management skills to incorporate a thriving academic life with a healthy social one. The result is that they often lose focus in their studies and fall behind, socializing leading to the sacrifice of learning.

So, how do we prevent anyone from having regrets about their college days? This is an impossible mission. Regrets are human. Especially in our early days of adulthood, we all make choices we later wish we could undo and re-make. Ultimately, these moments are what make us stronger. It is only through mistakes that we begin to have a store of wisdom from which to draw later in life.

But in terms of education, how can we merge these two extremes between East and West into a healthy middle ground? I think the answer will naturally present itself as more Eastern influences filter into the West via exchange students and immigration.

And likewise, more Western influences will filter into the East via increased trade and cultural integration -- something we see steadily rising decade-by-decade here in China.

In the end, education models morph and re-shape to fit the times. China is becoming increasingly more open and receptive to new learning styles and creativity training -- education that encourages students to think independently and innovate beyond the scope of set learning materials.

Likewise, Western models can see the value of persistence and tenacity that keen Asian youth embody as they come on the scene as foreign students in overseas post-secondary institutions.

While surveys such as that of China Youth Daily are never meant as overly serious reflections on society, they provide us with a pocket of entertaining data. By extension, they provide a peripheral glimpse at the course of social development -- where we have come from and where we are going.

I hope the next generation of college students in China find their regrets equally distributed between what they didn't do and what they did do. But mostly, may those regrets only serve as optimistic reminders of their constant growth.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.ccgp-fushun.com/opinion/emberswift.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.