Senior year in high school is known for college visits and deciding where you are going to spend the next four years of your life. You visit countless schools and ultimately pick the one that gives you the "feeling." I got that "feeling" at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and decided to call it home. I was so excited-I was going to my dream school. Once I got there, it was everything I expected. I mean how could I not love it? I was surrounded by tons of friends and a beautiful lake.
After a few months, that "feeling" started to fade. I found myself questioning if HWS was the school for me; I wondered if I would be happier somewhere else. Then again, I had a ton of friends and the professors were awesome, so why would I risk giving that up? Senior year I remember seeing the checkbox on the Common Application that said, "transfer" and thinking to myself "I'll never transfer, I picked the right school" I kept second guessing myself when going through the application — was it really worth all this effort to potentially be happier? After all, there were no guarantees and I would have to rebuild all I just created. Despite all these fears, I decided to go for it and checked the box. Months passed and eventually I got accepted to Franklin and Marshall College. My original concerns flooded my head again — I was hesitant to accept my offer. I didn't want to leave everything at HWS and start completely over. I couldn't help but wonder "is it really worth it"?
Summer came around and I still hadn't made my decision. I came back to F&M's campus in June for my first visit since high school, expected to get that "feeling" again. But I didn't. I wondered if that feeling was real or just a far-off concept created by some crazy people decades ago. Feelings aside, I decided to accept my offer to F&M.
Summer slowly passed and I nervously waited to start the 2nd chapter of my life at a new college surrounded by completely new people. Transferring is not an easy thing to do. It was one of the hardest decisions to make and one of the scariest things I've ever done. I got to campus and kept wondering "was it all worth it?" After two months, I can say with full confidence that yes, it was 100% worth it. I find myself happier here than ever and I am surrounded by people who don't care that I am a transfer or a sophomore or a girl from the Philadelphia suburbs-I am accepted the way I am and my friends like me for me.
So if you're currently questioning if you want to transfer to a new college, I promise you, it isn't easy at first. In fact, it's one of the hardest things you will ever do. There are ups and downs, there are days you want to be back with your old friends, and there are days you still question how things could've turned out, but in the end its worth it. Don't settle at a school that leaves you wondering if you could be happier somewhere else. College is about self-growth and learning; for making mistakes and picking yourself up. You only have four years until you graduate so make the best of those four years, and if that makes transferring take this advice: you miss 100% of the chances you don't take.
