A little over four years ago I made a decision that I was convinced was the worst possible decision I ever could have made: where I was going to college. I never thought that the college I currently attend, not for one second, would be the big, fancy dream school I had first envisioned.

My senior year of high school, I had applied to seven different universities across the nation and had been accepted into all of them. I had many options to choose from, but after a few college visits, I knew exactly where I wanted to go: Grand Valley State University.

This school was gorgeous and had everything I thought I would ever want. It was big, but not too big. Far from home, but not too far. It had everything I could need academically to be successful. They even gave me some decent scholarships.

RELATED: Freshman Year Is In The Books

GVSU was where I wanted to spend my next four years. I was completely positive that was where I was going to go. Heck, I was quoted on three separate occasions in my senior year book saying GVSU was where I expected to attend class in the fall. I even asked for a warmer winter coat for Christmas, knowing I would have to combat Michigan’s cold and snow every day on my way to classes!

However, I soon found out that despite scholarships, I wasn’t going to be able to afford to attend GVSU. But, fear not! I had a bigger and better scholarship waiting for me at another school. Great, right?

Nope. Absolutely not. I was certainly appreciative of the opportunity, but it was not one that I wanted. Because of this scholarship, my parents gave up looking for ways to help me afford GVSU; they knew there was another school that was well within my means.

I was resilient, determined not to go. I’d rather stay at home and work for a few years. But my parents and my school guidance counselor were having none of my excuses. They pointed out why I needed to at least give it a shot. I was being selfish.

Despite how resilient I can be, I have an enormous guilt complex, and they guilt-tripped me hard. So, on May 1, the date everyone has to make their final college decisions, I finally announced where I was going to be attending in the fall: Concordia University Chicago. This was the worst decision I thought I could ever make.

I was wrong.

I kicked and screamed about going to Concordia. I threw a classic 5-year-old’s tantrum. But, as we have all observed from watching that kid bawl his eyes out on the toy aisle of the grocery store, our parents truly do know best.

I had an idealized version of what I wanted in a university. I didn’t think Concordia met any of the standards I had wanted. It was a tiny school with less students than my high school. It was old, definitely in need of some updates. And—I kid you not—full of “Jesus Freaks.” Gasp! I was not prepared at all for what the next few years had in store for me.

Ever since move in day, I have been encompassed in one of the most loving and caring communities I have ever known. Some of the most significant people I have met wouldn’t have come into my life if it weren’t for Concordia. I have loved, I have been heart-broken, I have laughed, I have cried, I have felt lost, I have felt found again all on this one tiny campus.

I have met professors who have challenged me and changed my life. I have had roommates and friends I will treasure forever. They even rubbed off on me and made me one of those “Jesus Freaks.” I don’t know where I would be without my sarcastic, blunt, genuine, loving, dinosaur-onesie-wearing, beautiful roommates.

I don’t know who I would have become or what GVSU would have had in store for me if I went there. I’m sure I would have loved it, but I love who I am today. The person I am would not have existed without Concordia and the people I met there. Another plus for Concordia: Its campus is located on a block with a perimeter just shy of a mile, I don’t even need that parka I got for Christmas to walk to class! Not for one moment can I imagine myself anywhere, but at Concordia.

This is for everyone contemplating a major life decision, not just whether you picked the right university. Sometimes you think you know what you want in a school, in a relationship or in a job, but what you want is not always what you need. Heck, I can’t even be trusted to make a decision on what to eat when it comes to dinner—I settle for ice cream on more nights than not! Our plan isn’t always God’s plan. Sometimes we need to have a little blind faith and need trust those who are always looking out for us.

I did what I am always ashamed of others for doing, I had judged a book by its cover. However, the story is nearly coming to an end, only one year left for me, and I am glad I picked this book up and gave it a chance. Coming to Concordia was the best "worst decision" I ever made.