As a student in community college, I always looked forward to when I would transfer to a university. I was a student at a small community college for two years. The campus was only 15 minutes from my house, so I lived with my family and commuted to school each day. Since my school was a small extension campus of a larger community college, and seeing that it was a commuter campus, there were not many opportunities to get involved. This was a struggle for me, as I was super involved in high school. As some of my friends were off at universities, I would find myself getting jealous of their Instagram and Facebook posts. It seemed to me that all I could ever want was at a university and most definitely not where I was at the time.
While I don’t want to discourage aspirations, I want to encourage you to look at where you are in the present. Whether you are a current community college student, or a student at a large university, realize the blessings your life currently holds. Once I transferred to my university, my world became so much bigger (which I expected.) Now that I’m where I always wanted to be, I look back and see the blessings that my community college years held. I was able to come home and play with my dogs between classes. I was able to run downstairs to eat home-cooked dinner with my family each night. I received scholarship money from the community college honor society I joined. I was able to have smaller classroom settings, which provided more one-on-one help from my teachers.
As I continue to transition to my university, I am reminded to look at the blessings of each day. I absolutely love my university, and as a junior in college, I realize my time here is shorter than other students. This thought has pushed me to dive in as I transition. I went through rush, joined Student Association, got involved in a campus ministry and a local church, and I continue to look for opportunities here at my new campus. If your transfer experience is anything like mine was, you are transferring to a larger campus. Usually larger campuses provide countless opportunities for involvement. Your readiness to be involved can lead you to new friends and maybe even new hobbies! Please take advantage of every opportunity at hand.
Realize that it is normal to feel different as you adjust to a larger campus. I know I felt like a freshman in some ways, but I was 20 years old with more life experiences than a freshman. This can be an awkward feeling, but push through and be confident. Be proud in the accomplishments you have made so far in your college career. Your accomplishments are valuable and noble, no matter which campus you achieved these goals.
If you are a transfer student, I admire you. You are brave as you make transitions, new friends, and new lifestyle changes. Wherever you are, take opportunity by the reigns and GO! Your college experience is what you make it.
