Have you ever envisioned something so vividly in your mind, but then when it actually happened it turned out to be completely different? Such was my college experience. I had always dreamed of going to a university on the East Coast, and was eager to leave my small home town on the West Coast. After applying and touring a handful of schools in Massachusetts and the surrounding area, I fell in love with New England.
After a financial aid fiasco, I found out I wouldn’t be able to attend my dream school in Boston, and switched gears for plan B. With two weeks left until the decision deadline, I committed to Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, hoping their Writing & Publishing major would fulfill my interest in journalism.
I was caught up in the excitement of a coast to coast move, and was determined to approach my college experience– despite it taking an unexpected turn– with a positive attitude. Fortunately, I ended up with lovely roommates who helped smooth the transition. However, after being on campus and immersing myself in the school culture for a couple of weeks, I didn’t feel like I belonged. Despite having made friends within my major and through interest clubs, the structure and climate of Champlain College was ultimately not what I moved across the country for. So, I decided to transfer schools.
After living in Burlington, Vermont for a few months, I found that I enjoyed living in a college town filled with people who enjoy exploring the surrounding outdoors. Given that I wanted to stay in the area, I turned to the University of Vermont, where I had initially applied but had been deferred as a spring admit due to the large incoming class size.
I had already been admitted to UVM, so transferring as an incoming spring student was fairly seamless. Thankfully, the majority of my credits were transferable, which relieved much of my stress over falling behind academically. However, I was anxious about “starting over” socially, as I would need to make new friends and find my people at this new school. To which I remembered that I didn’t know a soul when I first moved from Oregon to Vermont, and felt more at ease knowing I would be moving five minutes up the road.
Despite my hesitancy over deciding to transfer schools mid-year (as opposed to finishing out the academic year) I felt it was the best decision for me given that Champlain wasn’t the place where I could have the quintessential college experience I was hoping for.
When I moved into my new dorm at UVM after returning to Vermont from winter break, it felt right this time. I was immediately welcomed by orientation leaders and other transfer students alike, who were in the same position as I was and eager to connect with others in this new place. I was met with loads of resources and programs to quickly get me plugged-into the UVM community and meet other students with similar interests.
Throughout this experience of transferring schools mid-year, here are my big takeaways:
- It’s okay to not have everything figured out (you can change your mind!)
- A large part of becoming an “adult” is about making decisions and defining what is important to YOU (even if it’s not what your family, peers, or the world says!)
- Good things take time (you will find your groove, meet your people, and achieve your goals when it’s meant to happen)
No matter what stage of college you may be in, let me assure you that it’s never too late to start. You can change your mind, your major, and re-define your dream to reflect your passions. Transferring schools mid-year (although unconventional) was the best decision I’ve made for myself in my college journey. I encourage you to be brave enough to make a change in your life to improve your own happiness, you are worth it.