One of the biggest decisions that many of us have made in our lives involves choosing which college to attend. We were repeatedly reminded of the importance of this decision, as it sets the tone for the beginning of our entire adult life. We spent many nights researching retention rates, reputation, local area, meal plans and dorms, and academics probably factored in there somewhere as well. However, the most important, and often underrated factor when choosing a school, is choosing which place you can most easily picture yourself calling home. Although the more concrete logistics and details may overshadow everything else, your comfort level and happiness are what will truly make or break your college experience.
Not only is there pressure when choosing which college to attend, but there is a great deal of expectation associated with succeeding once you begin your journey through college. This pressure is heightened when watching the success and happiness of your friends at other schools through constant Instagram posts and Snapchat stories, and reaches a peak as you feel the need to one-up them and prove how good of a time you are having as well. There is an additional expectation that when asked by family and other friends, “How are things going? Are you loving it?”, we unthinkingly reply that everything is amazing, you are fitting in perfectly, and you are hardly even excited to come home on breaks. But to the shock of the majority of people, this is simply not always the case.
Being away from home and thrown into a whole new world of responsibility for the first time is overwhelming enough, but if you are not even comfortable with where you are, the transition is that much harder. Sometimes you can’t quite put a reason as to why, but you just don’t get the comfortable vibes of home with where you chose to go in life. Whether or not people realize this, college students often make the wrong choices and end up living somewhere that is not quite right for them and decide to transfer schools. Transferring is surprisingly common, and should be encouraged for anyone who is not happy with where they are. There are numerous reasons why people may not transfer despite being unhappy, but the ultimate priority in everything we do in life should be our own happiness and state of well-being. If the fear of adjusting at a new school is frightening, don’t let it daunt you—if you find the place where you belong, the rest will all fall into place. Life has a habit of working itself out in that way.
Personally, I transferred schools from George Washington University to Xavier University in my first year of college and I initially struggled a great deal with what people would think of this decision, and how I would be viewed because of my choice. But ultimately I realized that none of this matters as long as I am happy in what I am doing and confident with my own choices. Since my arrival at Xavier, I have made a great deal of new and amazing relationships with wonderful people who have accepted me and continue to make sure I am adjusting well and I have finally found the place that I am thrilled to refer to as my home away from home. Despite the fear and potential sense of disappointment and failure that often accompanies transferring colleges, I encourage everyone to always remember that well-being and happiness should always be your first priority. We are all human, and humans inevitably make mistakes in life. It is what we do after making these mistakes, that is whether we are unhappy for four years or we decide to actively control our lives and transfer to somewhere we can call home, that truly defines who we are.
