Let’s face it, choosing a college is a big deal. You want to be happy with the choice you make because it is where you will be living and learning for at least the next four years. The fact is that not every student will make the right decision for themselves the first time around. It’s easy to see just how frequently that happens based on the number of students who transfer. However, most won’t choose to leave a school, attend a new one, and then transfer back.
When I received my acceptance letter from American University (the first time) I was certain that it was the best place for me. It has excellent academic standing, the campus is gorgeous and the student body is friendly and accepting. I couldn’t find a single imperfection.
During the first few weeks as a freshman I remember calling friends from home and gushing about all of my new experiences. I had already been cramming my days with new clubs and classes that I actually wanted to be in. For the first time in my life I wasn’t being forced into courses that played no relevance to me. I was putting my time into activities in which I actually held interest, and loving every minute.
As the leaves began to change and the swirl of excitement and new chatter started to die down, my outlook began to grey. I wasn’t sure what I wanted anymore. I couldn’t decide on a major, I was anxious about the distance from home, and graduation was far out of reach. I decided to transfer that Spring.
After spending my next semester at another university, I felt homesick yet again. But this was a different type of homesick—I yearned for my friends in DC and the school that I had fallen in love with from the start. Being away from AU made me realize why I chose it in the first place, and allowed me to see the kind of opportunity and environment that I was giving up. I applied for re-admittance that November.
I am now in my first semester back at AU since my freshman year in 2012. In some ways, it feels as though I have never left. I am rebuilding friendships and my familiarity with the city hasn’t faded. Yet in other ways, I feel like a freshman again. I feel as if I am starting over, with a new beginning and a fresh and clearer head on my shoulders. I now know what didn’t work for me the first time and I am figuring out what I need to do differently. Some people will say it was silly to leave a place only to come back. However, if there’s anything I’ve learned it’s that sometimes taking a step back from a situation and re-evaluating can be the best solution. Even if it means I was right the first time.
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