I’ve always found my forever school since I chose to go to Michigan State during my senior year of high school. I was excited, scared, and hopeful for the years ahead. My freshman year wasn’t the greatest. It felt like every day was the same: Go to class, take a nap, work on homework, go to work, sleep, and repeat. It was only until the end of the year that I broke free, and began to work on bettering my life. I made friends, developed ways to help my mental health, and worked to help improve my grades. Things were looking bright for my next year until I found out I wouldn’t be able to go. I was heartbroken and distraught by the sudden change of plans. I was so ashamed to tell my friends, too embarrassed about what they might think of me. Thoughts like, “You’re a failure” and “You couldn’t handle a school like that” swarmed my mind. I was so caught up in how everyone would perceive me even though they didn’t know the full story. Those thoughts were far from the truth, but I was too afraid of judgment from my peers.
My first year taught me I did not want to be a nurse. I was always tired and had no energy to do anything. This year I choose to change my major to Communications with hopes to become a Human Resource specialist. I found my classes to be more interesting, and applicable to life. I’m doing well in all my classes, earning a spot on the dean’s list by getting all A’s. I found the perfect balance between my social and school life. I could go out more without worries of completely falling behind in my classes. I wasn’t burned out all the time! Was this “the college experience” I was missing out on from being a STEM major? Don’t get me wrong, I’m tired of this semester and ready to go home.
Coming to a new school meant more opportunities to make new friends. Since I decided to come to BG about 6 weeks before the start of school, I was randomly assigned a roommate. I was so worried, my last roommate wasn’t ideal and I chose her through an app! The chances of getting randomly assigned a roommate who was compatible with me were low. I was so stressed moving into my dorm, not knowing when my roommate would arrive. Little did I know, that Kaylah would be the best roommate I could ever ask for. She quickly became one of my best friends. I would often find myself being dragged out of the dorm to various events and Howie’s pizza runs. Throughout the nine months of us living together, we’ve been through endless laughter, crashouts, debates and so much more. All of these are so memorable and make me appreciate the time we had as roommates. Along with Kaylah, I’ve met many other people in various ways. I’ve made multiple friends from the shared suffering of class, some of them from multiple classes. I also worked at the union for a couple of months and made some more memories there. Another time when shared suffering was apparent in all of our lives. I also met more people through mutual friends. I’ve treasured all these friendships and will continue to cherish them as they’ve changed my experience completely.
Lastly, my transfer helped me find who I am. I know it seems like such a cliche thing to say but it’s true. I realized it was never really my dream to go to Michigan State. A teacher told me “Don’t always pick the first university you visit. Explore other colleges and compare your options. People are quickly blindsided by the thrill of being on a campus for the first time.” The last time I visited a college before senior year was elementary school. I visited BG first and then revisited MSU, after so many years away from it. When I got asked why I chose MSU, I would always tell them it’s what I always wanted… but that was it. Both my Auntie and my sister attended the university, and we would visit every blue moon. Did the idea of going to my family’s Alma Mater blind me to the right choice? Yes! My sister warned me not to do this, but I always danced around the idea. This transfer also made me realize other “flaws” in my plans and aspirations. When I was younger, I had such high hopes to have the college experience that my sister had, but forgot to realize that’s not who I am. I’m not a “going out every weekend” girl, or even close to her level of socialization. My sister and I are two different people and I needed to focus on finding out who I am. This realization gave me time to truly think of myself and what I want for my future. Paving my way without my admiration blinding me.
Transferring to Bowling Green has to be one of my best life decisions. I switched majors to something that felt more like me. I found academic success, and friends and found myself going out more. Most importantly, I found who I was and broke bad habits. My dear readers, I encourage you to accept change as it can help you more than you can think of. Even though change can be painful and scary, its outcome can be beautiful and eye-opening.