Ever since I stepped foot on my then decided colleges soil; I knew something wasn’t quite right. I had come from a small town, so I figured that at a small private college I would feel right at home, I was completely wrong.
There was something in my gut telling me, this isn’t your place. It was as if I was trying to fit a round plug (me) in a square hole (the college). Academically, I was doing great. I had a 3.0 and was feeling fine, but not completely fulfilled in my classes. I had some friendships, but I never wanted to go out or do anything. I didn’t feel the need to join any clubs or put myself out there in this college’s world. Eventually, some of those friendships slowly fizzled out, until it was just me chilling in my dorm on the weekends with my roommate and some Netflix (lit). Most of the weekends I went home. I wanted to see my boyfriend, my dog, my family, and honestly I just didn’t want to be there.
Eventually I started going to see my boyfriend at his college over some weekends. He had started attending the University at Buffalo. When I stepped foot on campus here, everything just seemed to click. I felt as though I found my place and I had found my people. I knew right then and there that I was going to transfer. The small private school that I thought would accommodate me so well felt so small and I began to feel like a caged bird. I made it my goal to get into the University at Buffalo, and the day I got my acceptance letter was one of the happiest days of my life, I think I cried for 20 minutes just out of joy. There were so many more opportunities and clubs for me to join at UB. I finally began feeling joy and pride in my college; I started to really love my own college experience.
I don’t regret going to the small private school I did attend in the beginning. It showed me what I really wanted in my college experience. I became the maker of my own destiny and what I wanted to do with my career when I decided to transfer. Transferring colleges helped me decide what I want out of life. So, I do have a little piece of advise for anyone even thinking about transferring colleges, or to anyone that doesn’t feel complete at the university they are attending. There is always some place out there where you are meant to be. If you didn’t find it at your first college, look around and try to find it someone else, because everyone deserves to have a great college experience. The people that are meant to be your best friends for life are out there; you just have to go find them.