I will not be returning to Millersville University for the spring semester.
The decision to transfer schools was a difficult one. When I was first applying for colleges, I wanted nothing more than to leave New Jersey and study out of state. I looked for schools as far as California until my mom had me dial back the distance a bit to a state nearby. I chose one in Pennsylvania because it is only three hours from my house, a trip that can easily be made in a day; this factor, of course, was in addition to all its wonderful features like the English program and the welcoming faculty and the small town vibe.
Freshman year was mostly successful. I made the Dean’s List for both the fall and spring semesters, and I enjoyed my daily routine of stopping for coffee at the library and getting what I needed to get done around campus. But I was so lonely on the inside, and loneliness is an ugly emotion that can really damage your physical and mental state. It was time for me to come home and reconnect with my support system.
I learned from this experience that you never realize how much you miss home until you’re away from it. And when the next fall semester came around, I wanted nothing more than to see my mom again, to spend time with my dad, and to hang out with my brothers. I also learned that one of the most important things in life is choosing what works best for YOU. The mentality that quitting something is for losers is absurd; it is extremely brave to be able to identify what isn’t working for you, and taking the necessary steps to get to where you want to be. Not everyone can express their needs like this because they feel they will be a disappointment to those around them, so they stick it out and end up doing more harm than good.
At the end of the day, you come first. Make your happiness and well-being your top priority, even if those around you disagree with your decisions.
HCXO, Camryn
I refuse to see this time in my life as a failure, or a time that I quit. The point of writing this article is for me to say that quitting is NOT for losers. It takes a lot of courage to look at where you are now and say “this isn’t working for me” and make plans for a better solution. Especially when your mental health is hanging by a thread like mine was. Now that I’m back home I’ve been feeling much better. I got a full Time job at a daycare which keeps me smiling.‘I spend a lot of time with fam.