College. In a modern society such as ours, many are raised with the mentality that you find the college that suits you, and you attend. I was raised with such a mentality. Unfortunately, I did not quite find the college that suited me until I was a second semester sophomore. In total, I have attended three different colleges, which comes to a total of two college transfers.
My first college was a big time school – the University of Louisville. I had applied to various universities throughout the state, and was accepted by a few. But Louisville was right up the road from where I lived and just made sense. So I continued my application, soon being accepted into the art department within the university. I was happy at Louisville; I attended orientation, but was not going to be living on-campus. I commuted, and by the time midterms arrived, I was tired of driving 45 minutes every morning into a city I still didn’t know anything about.
Hence why I chose to transfer to the community college right around the corner from my house. It was less expensive (by a long shot), and I wouldn’t have to commute a long distance any longer. While I enjoyed the smaller setting, and having the lucky gift of not having to roll out of bed until 30 minutes before my class started, I felt like I was missing out. It was pure luck that I began to date someone who attended Eastern Kentucky University.
I had gone to visit him at Eastern’s campus, and it was just as soon as I drove onto it that I knew I wanted to attend there. The plan had originally been to attend Murray State, which I had just toured the campus and had already been selecting whether to live in a dorm or in an apartment. But there was something about Eastern that I just had to be a part of.
Flash-forward nearly three and a half years: Graduation is around the corner. Eastern is basically my home away from home and I have been beyond grateful for the experiences I have gained here. But I have gained experience by just transferring schools as many times as I have. I’ve learned that people skills are crucial and communication is key. I have learned to adapt to various changes that many others may never face in their college careers.
While I do not advise transferring colleges as many times as I have, I would never promote that transferring is a horrible idea. Transferring can help you find a home away from home, or a better education than you once previously thought you were getting. You can find new friends, maybe even a new job. If you asked me if I would transfer schools again as many times as I have, the answer would be yes. I have loved all of my experiences, and because of my two college transfers, I have become the person, and the student, that I am today.
