As the magnolias bloom and the parade of tour buses, campus tourists, and eager parents strut around Sproul Plaza, I’m simply reminded of two things. One, the college admission season is right around the corner, and two, the place I was a year ago.Â
Every year, when I see students anxiously waiting for their college admissions letters, I’ve always felt pride and sympathy for these students. I’m filled with joy as they celebrate with their loved ones on the fantastic news, yet I still feel empathy for the individuals who got rejected. Because I knew what it felt like to get rejected by a university that I thought was my dream school.Â
My journey to get to UC Berkeley was an uphill battle. When I was a high school senior, I had to make the financial decision to attend community college and for the duration of my time there, my heart was centered on my dream school, UC Berkeley. I thought that I had to be the perfect student with a shiny GPA to be eligible, but when I got rejected during the Fall 2024 cycle, I was distraught and thought my life was over.Â
That moment felt like an epiphany for me because it made me realize that, despite the rejection, I still had initiative over my life, and with that initiative, I decided to stay at my community college for a third year, to finish up my associate’s program while giving myself a second shot to reapply for UC Berkeley. In the end, that sacrifice paid off as I was eventually accepted into the school.Â
As happy as my family was, seeing the first woman on my father’s side to be accepted into college, I was unprepared for what was about to come once I stepped on campus. Despite getting into a top university and fulfilling a dream, there are moments when I’d feel like I was physically and emotionally spiraling out of control.
After spending three years striving to be perfect, every setback I’ve faced, from a not-so-good grade, club application rejection, the chaos of midterms, and doubts about my career goals, felt like a stab in the heart. I’d simply felt like I had no initiative in my life and was terrified of the life that would come after university; however, my experience as a transfer student has always led me back to my core value.
Despite the pressures and self-doubt, you still have initiative over your life, and it’s okay if you can’t see the clear direction in the moment. When you transfer to a four-year university or start your journey in college, you’re going to experience things that will test your values and outlook on life. For some, it will be getting a C for the first time in their life (or first time in three years), along with self-doubts over their career, realizing that the family you’re born into is just not it for your mental health, getting diagnosed with multiple health issues, or realizing that you’re capable of love, and so on.Â
But here’s advice from someone who’s been in the game for four, going on five years, and has been through it all. Your story doesn’t stop after receiving an acceptance letter, and there are many battles ahead of you once you step onto campus. But as long as you have an anchor of friends, at least one support person from your family, and a priority for your health, you’ll be crossing that stage at graduation.