ATTENTION ALL TRANSFER STUDENTS: We did it!

If you're in the same boat that I am, then you just spent every waking moment (outside of classes) devoting your life to your transfer applications. Let's assume that you're either at a community college (woot woot #gocomets) or have done two years at a university for general education and decided that you just weren't in the right place; now you've done you full 60 units and are looking to find a the perfect place to kick start the rest of your future.

Shouts out to you then! Going away to college is a challenge all on it's own that many incoming college freshman struggle with; however it's incredibly rewarding for the ones who get a grip on how to manage their lives while being independent, mini adults. Still, some people forget how hard it is to stay at home, or they simply don't see it as a challenge at all-that's some bull.

I've heard it all when it comes to individuals talking down on community colleges,

"Kids just get lazy and stop doing their work."

"That's not real life experience, you didn't have to struggle being in your own."

"You don't have to miss anyone because you're at home."

"Kids at community college spend years there because they're not going anywhere."

"Schools won't accept you for transfer because it's a community college."

"Oh god I would NEVER let my child go to [insert well establish community college that's provides a debt-free education to motivated students who are working for their own best interest]"

*insert eyeroll*

Yes I have actually heard people utter these ugly words. Let's talk about how wrong all of this is.

1. Most students at community college have NEVER worked harder in their lives than they do at community college. Speaking from experience, we have part-time jobs, internships, straight A's (yes the same type of A any kid at a state school or private university gets), join school teams (volleyball, speech and debate, baseball, etc.), join Associated Student Governments, invest our time in various interest groups, and really throw ourselves into SO many extra curricular activities.

There's ZERO difference between the kid who slacks off at community college and the kid who slacks off at any university.

Anyways, SHOUT OUT TO THE KIDS WHO JUST APPLIED FOR TRANSFER AND PUSHED THROUGH ALL THE SCHOOLWORK TO PURSUE THEIR GOALS IN TRANSFERRING.

2. Personally, I found staying home during my first two years of college to be one of the most challenging things I've ever gone through. My family rocks, but being home while I can see all my friends having fun every weekend and going on new adventures with new friends put me in a place where I felt like I was missing out on everything. I felt as if the best two years of my college experience had just been wasted sitting in my bedroom writing essays while the friends I had always done life with we're now moving on without me, and as dramatic as that seems, so many kids go through a state of loneliness when going to college at home. There's no immediate support system of friends that live just seconds from you. Phone calls and face times don't amount to actually having the people you love most in person at your side. It's an emotional rollercoaster; thus, reminding yourself of why you took that path is vital, looking forward to the future is necessary if you're going to get through that moment in time where FOMO (fear of missing out) devours your mind.

SHOUT OUT TO THE TRANSFERS WHO STRUGGLED TO KEEP THEIR HEADS UP. TO THE ONES WHO WERE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF MISSING PEOPLE AND EXPERIENCES.

3. If ever an ignorant comment was said, it would sound something like, "Schools won't accept you for transfer because it's a community college."

I'm not even going to explain this in more depth besides saying, that's what the transfer system is meant for. That is all.

SHOUT OUT TO THE KIDS WHO COMPLETED THEIR TRANSFER APPS AND THEN HAD A MOMENT OF RELIEF WHERE THEY REALIZED IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.

4. If you're a transfer from a different university and simple decided it wasn't the one for you, applaud yourself for realizing that the future you want for yourself wasn't going to become a reality in the current place you were at.

SHOUT OUT TO YOU FOR CHANGING YOUR PATH, you deserve all the best.

What I'm trying to get across here is if you just submitted your transfer apps, I am proud of you, and you should be too. People who have never experienced community college before think it's somewhat of a baby step into college, an easy version of their "higher education status". Those people are wrong-fill your heart with satisfaction that you did it all.

There's nothing like hitting a SUBMIT APPLICATION after two years of anticipating that moment. It's a rush of excitement, anxiousness, happiness, fear, joy, and pride. A moment where you really can appreciate that all the sacrifice in experience was worth it.

No matter your major or your future ambitions, I hope you transfers are gifted with an acceptance letter come Spring 2017. You are all worthy and you are all deserving.

Best of luck,

-A Student Who Just Submitted Her Apps

Ps. In the words of Elle Woods, WE DID IT!