Picture this: you’re a senior in high school, and you’ve just submitted your official confirmation to the university you’ve chosen to attend. You’re excited, a little nervous, overwhelmed by the possibilities. The next day, someone asks you where you decided on; you proudly tell them, and they respond with a blank stare and an “Oh.”
Disappointing, I know.
Growing up in a rural east Texas town has disadvantages sometimes, like when the number of people that actually recognize the name of your college can be counted on two hands (possibly one). While many of my high school friends considered large schools like A&M or the University of Texas, I felt from the beginning of my college search that a smaller school would be a better fit for me. (Side note: I am in no way dissing these or other Texas universities; these are both wonderful schools with excellent programs.) I didn’t necessarily plan to look out of state; it just sort of ended up that way. In the end, I chose Washington and Lee University, a private liberal arts school nestled in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Not necessarily your typical choice for someone from my town.
To be fair, I hadn’t even heard of W&L until the summer before my senior year. I was frantic, nervous about the fact that I still had absolutely no idea what colleges sounded right for me. After taking an aptitude test, W&L popped up on the results list as one of my possible matches. I visited twice over the course of the year and fell in love. Luckily, the logistics also fell into place.
Sometimes I felt like I was constantly having to defend my choice to people. Why there? What’s so great about it? If people didn’t ask these outright, I knew they were still thinking them. Or, if I was going to go so far away, why not go to one of the big name schools that people actually recognized? One of my personal favorites was when people would caution me to be careful going so far north -- Virginia may be south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but for some, any place farther north than the Panhandle is dangerous territory. I know people didn’t mean to be discouraging. They just didn’t have any context for my decision. It was still daunting at times, though, feeling the need to continually explain my gut feeling that W&L was where I was meant to be.
Now, nearing the conclusion of my first term of college, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I made the right choice. I am learning and growing and being stretched, both in and out of the classroom. I’ve joined groups, formed friendships and already made some incredible memories. That being said, leaving the comfort of my small town and choosing not to follow the typical path were undeniably difficult. But I’m better and stronger and more confident for following what my heart knew to be true, instead of letting "the way of things" dictate my decision.
So for first-year college students in a similar situation to mine, you rock. Trust me, I know it gets hard at times, but when you’re feeling a little homesick, just remind yourself of the reasons you chose your school in the first place. You’re here for a reason.
If you’re a high school senior, trying to decide whether to go out on a limb and take a chance on your college choice: just do the cheesy thing and follow your heart. If you really feel like you’re being pulled in a direction that’s different from the norm, then do it. Dare to be different. I promise you won’t regret it.
