I love UC Davis. I genuinely do. I have had so many opportunities here, met so many wonderful people, and made memories I will cherish forever. So why did I fill out an application to transfer to a different UC? Why was I sitting at my desk on November 30th at 11 p.m., an hour before the application was due, with my mouse hovering over the “Submit” button? Why did I want to leave?
I asked myself those questions constantly as I filled out the application because I wasn’t entirely sure that I wanted to transfer. The main reason I wanted to transfer is my family. As most college students know, being away from home is incredibly difficult. My homesickness sits like a constant ache in the pit of my stomach.
My main reason for wanting to transfer is to be closer to home. Every time I go home, I want to stay and I can’t imagine going back to school. Most of my closest friends from high school are also in southern California, so transferring would allow me to be closer to them, too. Life in southern California is familiar in a way that northern California isn’t, and may never be.
So why didn’t I submit the application? Like I said before, I love UC Davis. It is starting to feel like home. My friends feel like family. Southern California is where I grew up, so it feels safe and comfortable; I experience the same people and places that I’ve always have.
But northern California feels like independence and embracing uncertainty; it feels like trying new things and learning to be more adventurous. As much as I miss home, I’m not ready to leave the new life I’ve made in Davis. I want to continue getting out of my comfort zone and making the most of my experience here.
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