You've finally finished your first semester or first year of college and you are... underwhelmed. All of your friends post on their Snapchat or Instagram about what a great time they are having at school and you, well, are doing the complete opposite. Sure, you've made friends, the food is decent, and you're doing fine in your classes, but you can't help but feel as though you're missing out on something.
And the truth is, you may be.
What you thought was your first choice school could turn out not to be the one for you, and that's okay. It is hard to know exactly what you want when there are a million schools that all seem the same. Sometimes your fit at a school goes beyond what your GPA is or how well you do on standardized tests.
It has more to do with where you find YOUR people, where you find the activities that interest YOU, and where YOU are the happiest.
I think a lot of people are afraid to transfer schools because they're afraid that it will set them behind or that their parents will be mad. If your parents do get mad, I promise they will get over it because, in the end, they only want what is best for you. Your attendance at a specific school will never be as important as your happiness.
Looking back on your college experience, you will not remember the 8:00 AM lectures or the exam that you pulled an all-nighter for only to get a C. What will stick out in your memories are the people that were with you when you started getting delusional at 3 a.m. after studying for 12 hours or the people who were willing to find time in their schedule while you were going through a hard time. It's about the organizations that you're proud to be a part of.
Your college experience is not only about building your resume; it's about finding who you are and what makes you the happiest. I'll keep repeating that you have to do what makes you happy until it finally gets through your head. This is the least amount of responsibility that you will have for the rest of your life.
Make the most of it.
If anything, I think I have grown a lot from transferring schools. I was able to recognize that I wasn't happy at my old school and that I was willing to undergo all of the stress that comes with transfer credits because I knew that was not where I belonged. I was able to step out of my comfort zone to make friends because I didn't have the comfort of making friends on my floor. But most importantly, I was able to become the best version of myself because I was, and am, genuinely happy.
