Almost one in every three college students transfer schools at least once during their academic career. Chances are, you know at least one person who started off at someone other college and is now taking classes at Millersville. I am one of these people.
I started off at art school in Philadelphia. Probably one of the hardest decisions any high school student has to make is deciding where they’d like to dole out thousands of dollars to make new friends, have (un)forgettable experiences and, oh yeah, actually learn something. It’s hard to imagine a place you’ll feel comfortable and at home without actually experiencing it first hard. We change a lot in our late teens and early twenties.
I will openly admit to doing the whole college search process the wrong way. I’m a first generation college student. My parents worked right out of high school and made it known that if my brother, sister or I chose to go to school, it would be all on us. College is a scary thing to think about and I dove in head first. I was enrolled in a Commercial Art program at a vocational technical school and knew I really loved graphic design and photography. I knew I wanted to go to art school (at the time) and really felt that would be a perfect fit. Over my last year, I got my portfolio together, applied to schools, went to portfolio reviews, attended workshops and eventually decided on a for-profit art college located in Philadelphia. They had offered me a half-tuition scholarship, and honestly, that’s probably what sealed the deal.
Within the first week of my second quarter (they ran on a quarter system, instead of the usual semester schedule) at this school, I immediately knew I needed to transfer. It became apparent this place wasn’t where I needed to be, and wouldn’t be a place that would help me grow as a person or designer. I was beginning to doubt my major, my experience, everything. That night I went home and told my parents I was going to transfer and do it the right way.
It’s safe to say, the first time I stepped foot on this campus, it felt pretty safe. It felt pretty right. I could see myself walking around campus, spending late nights in the graphic/interactive design lab (which I completely underestimated how often this would occur). I had looked at other state and state-related universities and nothing was feeling right. (Sometimes when you go somewhere, you get that home feeling, that perfect fit sort of thing.) I knew when I found the right school, it would click and I wouldn’t want to leave.
I did the whole tour thing with my dad. It was a cold, windy day and still the campus felt appealing to me. The tour guide told us all sorts of things about the history of the campus, what the new buildings were and how dorm life was. But I was mostly interested in, did I see myself here? Was this a place I could spend all my time at? The tour ended and we were free to go off wherever. My biggest concern was student life. At my old college, this didn’t exist. Students were never around and made it hard to make friends. There were maybe ten organizations that actually had people doing things with them and honestly, the school just didn’t care. I talked to students and teachers and walked around on my own. I saw that organizations did things, Greek life existed, and people actually hung out around campus. This excited me, it made me want to be here. Organizations and getting involved are a huge part of college, and a great way to meet people with similar or even different interests.
Within my first two weeks here, I realized I made the right decision. I did the whole week long orientation thing and tried to find my niche. I went to Art Club meetings, tried out UAB for a bit and trained as a WIXQ DJ. I quickly found which organizations I would stick with. I found a favorite place in the art building and respect amongst peers and professors. Even now, as I’m ending my sophomore year at Millersville, I think about the last two years (has it really been that long?) and I’m amazed at the people I’ve met, the things I’ve done and everything I am currently doing. I know I can thank that to this school. College is a time to discover yourself, to figure out what you do (and don’t) believe in, stand for and know. It’s important to find a place you can be yourself, and do what you love. If you’re not happy, then maybe a simple change is all you need.
Source:
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/transfer/
Photo Source:
http://www.millersville.edu/about/swans.php