Dear Confused, Overwhelmed, Sad College student,
You spent months preparing essays and visiting schools, and took weeks deciding what college was right for you. You finally decide to go with the school that you had your heart set on from the beginning, but had never anticipated getting accepted to. Now, a semester later, you find yourself surfing the internet looking at other schools, imagining you had made a different decision when deciding what college to attend. You know you can’t remain this unhappy for three more years; you need to transfer.
Parents. The first big step in the transferring process. Your parents may be upset that you are not following through with your commitment, however, this is not a short term commitment. Your happiness is way more important than finishing out at the school you originally intended on going to. Sometimes you don't know what school is the right fit until you experience it for yourself. I promise, your parents will forgive you, and they will be supporting apparel from your new school in no time.
Friends. You will be asked a million times how you can walk away from your old school, especially when it offers the amazing opportunities that mine did. Your friends will get over it. It’s your life, and if they're that concerned about you not liking your old school, it may just be a sign that they are unhappy as well. They just may not have the courage to act on their unhappiness like you are. Your friends at your new school will embrace the fact that you are a transfer student and it will give you a lot to talk about.
The application process. I promise, it isn't as bad the second time around. While it is time consuming and stressful to apply to another bunch of schools, it is not nearly as tough as the initial application process. Some schools will not even require an SAT score, and will only be interested in how you performed at your old school. You will get in somewhere, just like you did the first time around. Stop stressing.
The Decision. Make the decision based off of the things that you did and did not like about your old school. If you did not like the size of the school, don’t pick another big school just located in a different part of the United States. Although the application process is easy, transferring is not something you want to have to go through multiple times. Not only is it a pain to relocate, eventually it will become a red flag to schools since you were unhappy everywhere that you went. Learn from your mistakes, and pick the school that you think is the right fit. (Warning: This will not be as exciting as picking your first school.)
The Switch. It will all work out. Transferring is becoming extremely prevalent in the United States, there are many people going through the same things that you are. Not only will you find a transfer support system, you may even find some new best friends (If you're lucky). You will also make friends that didn't transfer, it may take time, but it will happen. College isn't like high school, people are meeting and making new friends each day. You will find your place soon, it is just a matter of time.
To the confused, overwhelmed, sad college student: It will be okay. Transferring is normal, and there is a school for you. Embrace your transfer status and go into the transition with an open mind. Chances are, you will realize your new school is where you belonged all along.
Sincerely,
A Happy Transfer Student
