For those of you who may not know, the University of Connecticut has many campuses; Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, Storrs, and Waterbury. Students can go to any of these locations to take the same courses, get the same education and receive the same diploma with the “University of Connecticut” stamped across the top.

However, some campuses do not have all the courses needed to complete certain majors (mine being one of them). In these cases, they offer students the ability to change campuses to one that has the means for them to complete their desired major, this is usually the Storrs campus. To campus change from one of the “regional” campuses, as any other campus besides Storrs is called, students must complete two years or 54 credits at the regional campus.

As my sophomore year came to an end I had exactly 54 credits and made the move up to Storrs from Stamford for the Fall 2017 semester.

As my second semester at Storrs starts, I want to reflect on my time here thus far and maybe offer some advice to anyone else thinking of making the move. The truth is that I am still adjusting, but so far things are off to a better start than last semester. At the very beginning, it was really hard. For the first couple of weeks I had extreme anxiety and felt like I was a freshman starting all over again. I was afraid to ask questions about where things were or what certain things meant out of fear that I would be looked down upon by my peers. I found sharing a bathroom with 20 other girls and wearing flip flops in the shower weird and the food in the dining halls less than desirable at times. As a junior, it’s so strange going from feeling like I had this whole college thing down to realizing that the college experience at home in Stamford was very different from what I was now experiencing. I felt trapped and very out of place.

As the weeks progressed, things got better. I’d come to realize that most people were nice and more than willing to help me with anything I needed. Showering with shoes is still odd but I barely notice them anymore. The food is still less than desirable but I’ve found some key go-to items that always save the day and my stomach. Having my boyfriend here also has been a huge help not only because he’s my boyfriend but because I always have a friendly face to get meals, go to the library or just hang out with. My roommate is way better than I could have asked for considering we both did random and had no idea what to expect.

Overall, I’m doing well and feel like this is what I needed to get out of my comfort zone.

I still miss home sometimes and plan to make the trip back occasionally on the weekends but I no longer feel the need to escape the walls of my dorm room. I’ve found clubs and student organizations to join and made friends in some of my classes. Things are working out in the best way possible.

So here’s my advice to anyone campus changing, transferring or even just starting over somewhere new: you’re not alone in this process. For the longest time, I thought I was just crazy and being dramatic but I’ve realized so many other people have gone through or are going through the same experiences. It may feel like you’re the only one but I promise you aren’t. So reach out to people, talk about how you’re feeling, you never know if someone is feeling the same. Change is scary for a lot of us but life has a funny way of working out and it will for you too.