“I got myself here” has been the phrase running through my head these past four weeks. The classes I’m taking, the clubs I am in and the school I am at, I got myself here.
The process of transferring was definitely difficult, filling out applications while taking finals and asking for letters of recommendation for a decision I didn’t yet know if I would make, but in the end, I made it. I am now a student at the University of Connecticut.
These first few weeks on campus have felt like a movie, starring me as the main character, finding my footing in an unfamiliar place. The experiences I have had have felt like nothing I could have imagined.
I have definitely felt like a freshman at times, using Google Maps to get to my classes and not understanding the meal plan until the third week of classes, but I feel like I have made it past the rough patch now. I am in that montage moment, where the main character learns, grows and becomes truly part of the community she is in.
While I still use Google Maps sometimes, my intuition about where I am on campus has become much better, and I have started to recognize people that I see around campus. I have started to really become a Husky.
My life right now is filled with so many new experiences; every week comes with something new. I tried (and fell in love with) the egg and cheese bagels at Bookworms cafe, I joined a club sports team, I celebrated my 20th birthday and even tried sorority recruitment.
I have learned so much about myself in the past four weeks, as I get used to a new place and new people. While this experience for me has been so rewarding, everything comes with balance. There are definitely times when I miss my friends, miss the familiarity of my old campus and miss the relationships I had with my professors. It can be lonely when everyone around you already knows their best friends, and you barely know anyone. It takes time, but I have started to make connections and meet people I hope will grow into lasting friendships, the friendships I will miss when I leave UConn.
I am taking every moment and every opportunity with full strength and giving it my all. I am here for a reason, and that reason is to make the best me I can make. The resources and opportunities here are endless, and I cannot wait to explore everything that I can.
If anyone is thinking about transferring to UConn, I would tell them that it is hard, and there are moments when you feel sad, but who is a main character without their moments of feeling down. Coming to this school was definitely worth it, making me closer to my family and living in a state I love so much. Take the risk, because if you don’t, you might always regret it.
I always used to tell new freshmen to say yes. If a club looks interesting, say yes. If someone asks to go on a side quest with you, say yes. Being open to change and new experiences is so important, especially when starting a new chapter (or movie) of your life. Now it is my time to say yes, to try new things, and most importantly, to learn new things about myself.
In the past five weeks, here are just some of the things I have said yes to: joining a club sports team, meeting up with a friend from high school, joining Tri Delta as a founding member, grabbing lunch with people I didn’t quite know, and going to Wendy’s and Insomnia Cookies at 11:00 p.m. on a whim. I know there will be many more things this semester and this year I say yes to, and I can’t wait to find out what.
I am excited for when my “montage” ends and I become the character who all of a sudden feels fully at ease, who knows the ins and outs of their new life, but for now, I will bask in the glory of growth.
I am the main character in my life right now, creating a new storyline that will change the course of my life forever.