Applying to colleges is kind of like a lottery game. Senior year of high school, you virtually tour the schools that sound nice to you, take a road trip with the family to visit the ones you are seriously considering, and then eventually narrow it down to the few that you think could offer you the best four years of your life. This is one of the biggest decisions a teenager has to make, and sadly, we do not always make the right decision.

My high school was small; a total of 200 students to be exact. It was a Catholic high school in New England, so naturally, because it was my comfort zone, I decided that the only colleges I would be comfortable at were also small, private, Catholic colleges. Little did I know, my comfort zone was not where I would be my happiest and most successful. So, I chose a small, Catholic college all the way up in Vermont.

Heading into my first year of college, I was excited to leave home, start a new chapter of my life, and to finally be an adult. Yes, there were parties, I made friends, and my classes were interesting, but there was something missing. I started to feel sad, because half way through the year, everyone else at my school was still so happy with the choice they made, and the environment they wanted to surround themselves with. So, I tried to make the most of it, I tried to love my decision and the school I chose. Again and again, that same missing feeling would arise, and again I would look around at everyone else, and they still seemed completely happy.

The thought of being "that girl" to transfer colleges scared the hell out of me. I hate being in the spotlight, and I hate big, unexpected changes. So, I talked to my parents, made them aware of my situation, and decided that applying to other schools was a good decision. Because I was slowly becoming "that girl," I got even more sad and almost decided to stay and just make the most of it. Then a thought came into my head, "if college is supposed to be the best four years of my life, (and it's really only four short years), why should I stay somewhere that I'm not completely happy?"

So, I went completely outside my comfort zone; I applied to UMass Amherst, a school with 25,000 undergraduate students. (That's 23,000 more students than my first college experience!) And oddly enough, UMass was the only school I applied to for my transfer. I had this feeling that it was the exact change I needed; though I was nervous, I was going outside my comfort zone, and that was so exciting. I needed a bigger environment with more to do, more to get involved in; I craved that experience. So, I toured the school with my family, and fell immediately in love with it. I pictured myself among thousands of other students, all from different places and with different lives, yet all similarly happy with their school. This is what I wanted, and most importantly what I needed. Then my acceptance letter came in the mail: and that's when it all went uphill.

Fast forwarding to September, I was a nervous wreck. Never in my whole life had I moved to a different place, transferred schools, or had a major change in environment. I knew almost nobody at UMass, and making new friends terrified me. I thought, "what if they think I'm weird,""what if I don't make any friends," etc. However, finally being there and knowing that I moved out of my comfort zone gave me feelings of hope and excitement. Immediately upon moving in, I was greeted by every girl in my hall. I was put on a floor of all transfer students, just like me. Every girl came from different types of schools, some small and private like mine, and some even bigger than UMass all the way across the country. But the beauty of it was that we all made the same leap of faith, and for whatever reasons we had, we all decided that UMass was the place we should be spending the best four years of our lives.

I suddenly blossomed; that empty feeling I had at my previous school was completely gone. I became best friends with four of the girls in my hall, chose classes I never even knew I would be interested in, and even joined a sorority. I was less insecure, more focused on my major, and just overall a happier person. A year ago, if someone had told me I would be at UMass, in a sorority, living on the 22nd floor of a dorm building, and met some of the best people ever in my life, I probably would have laughed in their face. But somehow, it happened, and it was the best thing for me.

From this experience of transferring schools, I learned that nothing ever has to be permanent; our decisions, our mindsets, or our environment. We have complete control to do what we want and to be the best version of ourselves. Like the phrase, "Life's too short," so is college. So for those of you who took that same leap of faith that I did, be proud of yourselves! And for those who are thinking about it but haven't yet, go for it. College is too short, be somewhere that you would be your absolute happiest. All it takes is a little courage and a lot of faith.