When I was a senior in high school, community college was the last thing on my mind. Similarly to everybody else, I wanted to grow up and get away from home. Stockton, Montclair, Rider, York, Centenary, Stevenson, Hood, Kutztown, Kings College and Philadelphia University were some of the schools that I applied to. When I toured these colleges, I didn’t have specific questions and didn’t really know what I was looking for. All that I knew was that I wanted to be far away from home so that I could experience the college lifestyle that everybody else talked about. On April 30, 2013, I chose Hood College because it had that storybook campus atmosphere; it’s a small college, so getting to know and see professors inside and out of the classroom wasn’t challenging; and Hood’s Campus Activity Board pinned planned events for students to participate in over the weekends. I felt as though Hood was the perfect match for me.

Geez, was I mistaken.

I participated in an overnight at Hood and had been away from home before, so thought that I’d be able to manage. The summer before my freshman year, I worked at a sleepaway camp in Lakeville, CT, which kept me away from my parents for about seven weeks. When we look at seven weeks in perspective, that’s about half the length of a fifteen week semester. Although there were times when I missed my parents while at camp, I was doing what I loved and was surrounded and supported by amazing people.

What was there to be afraid of? In early August, my Hood roommate to be and I got in contact with one another as soon as we received each other’s contact information. We started discussing how we’d decorate the room and who’d bring what. Although I was ecstatic for August 23 to come so that I could move into my dorm and meet my roommate and fellow classmates, I started having anxiety. I reminded myself that I had visited the college many times before and that I felt comfortable on campus. Furthermore, Hood accepted me because they felt as though I could succeed there. The college experience isn’t just about the academics though, it’s about getting involved, finding what you’re passionate about and beginning your educational career.

I vividly remember my parents giving me hugs goodbye and pulling out of the parking lot. Everyone around me seemed so happy and content and I wanted to feel like them. But I couldn’t. It was hard for me to find a solid group of friends and feel confident in my own capabilities. I constantly stressed about the amount of credits I was taking and asked myself why I left home. If I had taken the time to look at myself and ask myself if I was actually ready to leave home instead of listening to my high school peers talk down the local community college, I would have “gotten my start at Brookdale,” a community college in Lincroft, NJ.

All of the math, English, history, biology, psychology and general education courses that I’ve taken at Brookdale have helped me figure out that psychology is the right major for me. The professors have been nothing but helpful in and out of the classroom. They are always more than willing to help students who show effort. Brookdale has given me the chance to become an active member of the Student Life Board, participate in the theater and political science clubs, become a leader in the Students for Global Citizenship club and participate in a college-wide Governance Committee. Although Brookdale was the path less taken for my high school class, it’s been the right path for me.

To this day I still question why I listened to all of the rumors about Brookdale Community College. Yes, it might not be a four year institution and it might keep me at home for a little while longer but that’s okay. I’m not going to be graduating from a four year institution in 2017 like the rest of the Class of 2013, but I’ve learned that you can’t always follow the social norm and I’m okay with that.