The word “college” elicits many different feelings and words for us all. Degrees, parties, all-nighters, lab reports, football games, exams, and loans; we could go on forever. While usually the feelings associated with college are positive, some are negative. My first year of college taught me several things, but that was mainly that I didn’t want to stay at my (then) current institution. Some of us find our “home” right out of high school, but some of us are not so lucky. I was amongst the latter. It amazes me how, as high school kids, we are expected to know what we want to do with our lives. Whether that involves joining the armed forces, picking up a few part time jobs, or enrolling at a college or university.
About three months into my freshman year of my college, I was extremely unhappy. Moving into a university as a college freshman is quite a shock. It was even more so for me because I was going out of state. “It’s a new environment, just give it time,” my parents would say. So I did. I gave it a year and I’m glad that I did. While I was mainly miserable for that entirety of the year, I learned a lot about myself. As a senior in high school, when I first visited this college, I fell in love. Everyone had told me how great of a college it was, they offered me scholarships, and I would be playing softball. I thought it was perfect, and I had no doubt in my mind that was where I wanted to go. A couple of weeks went by after move in and the “honeymoon phase” came to an end. I started to realize a lot of things that I didn’t like about my college. While it’s normal for there to be things you don’t totally love about your college, it’s also normal to transfer. 37.2% of college students transfer at least once within 6 years [2]. Something had hit me, and I somehow knew I wasn’t meant to be at that school anymore. I felt like I was in my own bubble, and I didn’t know which way to go.
I’m so happy to say I got out of that bubble, and I am now currently enrolled at The University of The South. I was extremely nervous to come to a brand new university after being so unhappy the year before. Being a transfer student can be very difficult. Luckily, Sewanee made it very easy to transition. Once I got on campus, I realized that I was not the only incoming transfer. Sometimes all you need to know if that you’re not alone in the process.
At the end of the day, I’m happy that I had to go through the transferring process. It made me realize what I really want out of a university and out of my college experience. My best advice to any high schooler researching colleges: decide for yourself. Don’t let the opinions of other people influence your decision. Because at the end of the day, you are the one who will be going there. With over 1400 four-year schools in the US, I promise that somewhere out there is the perfect fit for you [1]!
[1] “How many colleges are there in America?” College Confidential, talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/71235-how-many-colleges-are-there-in-
america.html. Accessed 7 Sept. 2017.
[2] “More Than a Third of College Students Transfer.” Inside Higher Ed, www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/07/08/more-third-college-students…. Accessed 7 Sept. 2017.