As an older sister to a brother who is in the midst of college applications, it is my duty to offer unsolicited advice and interject anecdotes from my own experience.Â
Unlike many of my high school peers, I did not follow the traditional college route. I attended my “dream school” in the fall semester of my freshman year, switched gears and went to community college in the spring, was admitted to Boston University for my sophomore year, and have been here ever since.Â
My biggest fear when transferring was feeling like a fish out of water at my new school since I hadn’t been there since my freshman year. It was a fear that consumed me before I arrived at BU, but it’s also a fear that has not crossed my mind since.Â
What I quickly discovered is that the so-called “nontraditional” path is, in fact, the norm at BU. With over 700 transfer students admitted each year, plus students enrolled in programs like CGS (College of General Studies) and others who took gap years, switched majors, or transferred, the idea of a single, linear college journey simply does not exist here. Everyone arrives with a different story, an alternative route that brought them to the same destination.Â
That’s what makes the BU community so rich and dynamic. You’re constantly surrounded by people who have taken chances, changed direction, or redefined what success looks like for them. Instead of feeling behind or out of place, I found myself among people who understood what it meant to take an unexpected path and thrive because of it, not despite it.
So, to my brother, and to anyone else who’s worried about “falling behind” or not doing college the “right” way: there is no right way.Â
That’s life.Â
Now, in a time of my life when networking and internships are the two most commonly used words in my apartment, this sentiment has crept to the forefront of my mind: Slow down and enjoy the journey.Â
The only thing that matters is moving forward, even if the road looks different from what you imagined.
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