Have you ever felt like the college courses that you’ve been taking are getting you nowhere? I certainly have. During the end of my Freshman year and the fall semester of my sophomore year, I felt stuck. I came into my University with almost 30 credits from AP and Dual Enrollment courses, but there I was taking classes that had nothing to do with my major’s description. I know that gen eds are required, those I had completed over my first few semesters. But when I could finally get to my needed requirements, none were being offered. When I spoke to my advisors about what I could do, they suggested components that were not really what I had in mind. As an International Relations double major, I wanted to take courses on Foreign Policy and learn how Diplomacy works. I did not want to be forced into taking classes in the Domestic Political field. This was neither my advisor’s fault, nor is it the department’s fault. I just got to a point of questioning, “why am I here?” What is the point of taking these classes if they aren’t getting me anywhere?
I thought, perhaps, I feel stuck because I’m not doing much beyond my classes. Though this was not the case, I was in a sorority that I love, and I was also looking into clubs related to my major. I was looking for an outlet to redirect the stagnation I was feeling. Surprisingly, it didn’t work for me. I love my sorority, what it stands for, the women in it. But that was not enough to keep me at my old University. I began to feel even more miserable, and I began to dread going back to campus after a break. Even with my sorority sisters’ support, I still felt lost.
I started to research other colleges and universities, which was very significant to me. There is this whole stigma about transferring universities that you are in some way, failing at being a college student. I had only ever known two transfer students, and they said it was a huge change, even if they don’t regret the change. Eventually, I started to look at this college website comparing the opportunities there to what I had at my old University.
Soon enough I began to look at the application deadlines and scholarships I could get as a transfer student, and I began to talk to my parents about seriously transferring. Ironically, the school I’m at today is one that my dad pointed out to me, as this University had caught my sister’s attention as she was a senior in high school. So, that winter, I applied to Coastal Carolina and took a trip to visit in February. I felt much more relaxed at this University than I ever did at my other one, perhaps because it’s so close to the beach or the vibe of the campus. I was confident that I was going to be transferring here in the fall.
So, I did it, I transferred. Now I am in a new program where I have almost too many class choices, I wanted to take them all. But that’s not to say that transferring solved everything that I felt was wrong with my college experience so far. I had to start over and meet people, which is a daunting enough task without getting lost every other day in Edwards. But I was trying, and in some ways, I was successful and in others, I was not. Now, for the first time in college, I am on the Dean’s list, and I am applying to study abroad, something I’ve wanted to do since high school. Transferring is not a total dream. I broke my ankle, not even a full month into the new semester. Eventually, my doctor told me that I had to leave campus because my ankle wasn’t healing. So, I switched to online classes and went through the rest of the semester stuck at home. Yet, even with those challenges, I have felt more successful at Coastal Carolina than I had at my previous University. I still love the people I met there, but that was not the college for me, and here I am two years later.
I am still figuring out my place at Coastal Carolina, but I feel like I will get there. I have found something that my other University couldn’t give me. I am the person I am today because of my experiences both at my old University and at Coastal Carolina. Even on the days where I feel at my lowest here, I have never considered transferring again. Perhaps that could change, but for now, I have found a place that I am trying to make my own.
So, if you are feeling stuck at your University, academically or otherwise, try something new. Perhaps get involved more on campus and branch out. Sometimes the only way you know if a place is right for you is to try and make it work first. I wanted to make it work, and for me, I just got a bit more miserable with each semester. So, I took power into my own hands and made the decision the leave behind an entire state to give myself more opportunities. I mean here I am writing for a college magazine, something I could never imagine at my old University. Even if you think there is not a college for you, trust me, you will find the right one. It just might take a while.