I remember during my junior year of high school when everybody was talking about where they wanted to go to college, and I sat there thinking to myself that I had no idea where I wanted to go. My dad went to college in New York, and my mom did not attend schooling past high school so I did not really have a place to go to continue a family legacy. I wondered if I wanted to go out of state, or stay in state not only because of my family, but because of the difference in tuition.

Junior year came to an end, and then summer began which is where I had to start making decisions. I printed out a list of each college and university that was in the United States. As anybody can imagine, there were hundreds and hundreds of options. I first weeded out options by the states in general, I knew right away that I wasn’t moving to Hawaii, or Alaska. Next, I started to look at the popular universities and the majors that they offered. After months of research, I decided that I only needed to apply to three universities and they were all out of state.

My family and friends continually asked if I was sure that I wanted to go out of state my first year, and I decided for sure! Nobody could stop me now, I was leaving my hometown, even my state. October rolled around and I heard from the three universities I applied to. I had gotten into two out of three schools so now it was time to make my final choice. After researching both schools intensely, I picked my dream school.

Everything moved quickly after that as senior year always does. I picked my roommate, I went to orientation, and ordered everything I possibly could that represented my future school. I moved into my tiny dorm, decorated it like something on Pinterest, and luckily had an amazing roommate. But sadly, as my freshman year went on, I felt as if the school was not for me and it was turning out not to be the picture-perfect dream that I had hoped for. I joined organizations, met lots of great people, had my dream major, but I still could not find happiness there.

Winter break came around and I went home for more than a month; this is when I truly realized how much I missed my family, but mostly how much I liked being home rather than being at school. I kept thinking to myself that freshman year was supposed to be the best year of your life, and that you are never supposed to want to come home!

But sadly, I was almost tempted to just stay home after winter break and not even return for the spring semester. I decided to go back to school and finish off my spring semester, within those five months I realized that it was okay to not be happy at your dream school and it was even more okay to leave it.

Time began to fly, not only did I have to complete the semester, but once again I had to fill out college applications. Dozens of applications were filled out, because I wanted to give myself more options this time. I really wanted to be at my dream school, and enjoy college like everybody else. Months became days, my dorm started to become empty, and I still couldn’t believe that my dream did not work out.

After getting accepted into more universities, everything changed once again. I decided that I deserved some time to find my dream university and it was no longer a rush. I moved back home fully, at times I was disappointed in myself for moving back after completing my freshman year of college out of state. I enrolled at a local state college, there was no changing my mind now! To my surprise, sophomore year was my best year of college. My grades drastically improved, and I earned my associate in arts degree. My second year came to an end the other day, and within the last year I have filled out college applications for the third time. As much as I hated doing that again, this time I toured each university and took the time to learn more about it.

As of June, I will be attending a new school and for once I believe that this is my dream school. Even though it took me over a year, I did realize that it is okay to not be happy with the university that you thought you would be in love with. Maybe it’s the school, the people, or the environment that just doesn’t click with who you are. It could be that your major is not offered there, or you are just not that into sports! It is worth taking risks to find the school that fits you best, and where you are not afraid to be yourself. I might not have experienced my first two years at my new school, but I will certainly make the most of my last two years.