My first three semesters of college involved a lot of moving. Not entirely sure of what to major in or what kind of college experience I wanted to have, I attended three universities in three different regions of Missouri; each one a vastly different environment from the others. While I eventually made my way back to the first university I had attended, Missouri State, I was a completely different person upon returning than when I had left. Although this definitely wasn't the easiest route for me to take in terms of time or money, I do feel that my transfers taught me a lot about myself and about life, in general. Here's what I learned along the way:
You're allowed to change your mind...and then change it again
During my sophomore year of high school, I decided that I was going to attend Missouri State University for college and pursue a degree in Theatre. This vision of my future stuck with me and was my main source of motivation all throughout the next two years of high school. However, upon entering college, I realized that the reality of this vision wasn't what I had expected, nor hoped for. Suddenly, I didn't know if I wanted to stick with theatre as my field of study or if Missouri State's campus was the right fit for me. This uncertainty was scary at first, but allowed myself to do something that I had never done before: embrace change.
Making mistakes doesn't mean you're a failure; it means you're human
Throughout high school, everybody knew me as a perfectionist. I had a reputation for being prepared way in advance and excelling in most areas of school, even if I claimed that I wasn't any good at them. After announcing my plan to return to Missouri State University, I felt that I would be judged for making a mistake to leave in the first place. However, I had to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. While I may have struggled with finding a university and an academic field of study, I was still much better off than a lot of my peers. One mistake on my imaginary social track record only made me look more human than before, and perhaps more relatable.
People will be more understanding than you'd expect
My biggest fear throughout the process of transferring schools was that others would automatically judge me or think less of me for it. While some passive aggressive remarks would be thrown around here and there about my inability to stick with a school, most of my friends and family were quite supportive. Much to my surprise, the majority of those that I spoke to regarding my school transfers seemed to embrace my decisions and hoped that I would eventually become successful in my pursuit of happiness and fulfillment. This experience taught me to look at humanity in a more positive light: I expected the worst from others and somehow, they wished me the best.
Perspective is everything
After attending two other universities and attempting various academic majors, I finally realized that if I went back to Missouri State University with over a year of college experience and a better idea of what career path I wanted to pursue, maybe things would finally work out there. Upon my decision to return to Missouri State University, my mind began to fill itself with doubts: "Why am I going back to the place that I wanted to leave so badly?" "How will things possibly be different this time?" But, I kept reassuring myself that things would be different because I would make them different. I was determined to make this return work and remain positive through it all. And with this newly developed mindset of mine, things did work out.
Looking back at those three semesters, there's not much that I would change if I possessed the ability to go back in time and do so. Every decision that I have made has led me to where I am now. Had I not left Missouri State University, only to return later on in my college career, I might have never gained a new perspective that made me more appreciative of my surroundings. While it comes as no surprise that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, sometimes you have to experience it firsthand in order to completely understand that.
