Last winter, I decided to transfer from my original university. I transferred for a multitude of reasons but overall did it for my own sanity. It is not an easy process and by far the hardest thing I have ever done thus far in my life. Here are five things I 100% felt during the whole process and I am sure ALL transfer students feel as well.
1. Fear
Whether it be the deciding moment you are getting the hell out of your first school, or the first day on the new campus, you are going to fear. Fear the new, fear the now, fear what is to come. The fear of having to cope with the decision to leave one school to go to another is something no one tells you about. It's the kind of fear that spooks up on, and does not leave you until you come to decision. The fear that you messed up and what to do to solve it. Trying to stay is not an option.
There is also the fear of being the new kid on the block. A semester behind, a year behind, just behind. No matter when you come to school, socially, you are behind. Sure, you will meet plenty of people but its scary at first. You have another opportunity at starting over but then again, that's what is most scary.
2. Frustration
For me, it was the frustration of having to do the little things again. Meet with new teachers, get new ID cards, set up another dorm room, and the most frustrating finding my way around a large campus. All transfer students feel frustrated at moments. Although I choose to transfer and knew it was what I wanted, I still had those moments of frustration.
3. Nervousness
Nervousness or in my case anxiety. You are going to be extremely nervous and anxious. Starting over is not easy. Whenever you may be transferring to, you are starting over completely and that is scary. Even having to meet a new teacher, or find a new building, is very nerve wrecking. You have to push through this because eventually it will feel ok and in the end that little nervous feeling you once felt, will never return again.
4. Optimism
If you are like me, you are transferring because the first school was not your place. Once I decided on where I was going to transfer, I shut out all the negative thoughts. Knowing I was transferring and was going to have to make it work were my top two priorities. If your first school was rough, then its so important to be optimistic when headed into the second one. That's the only thing I kept in mind. I kept reminding myself to just let life happen.
5. Excitement
Obviously, you are going to be excited. Starting over is not all bad...it's really exciting. It's a fresh start. New school New you. I was so excited to start over and do it somewhere I knew I actually wanted to be. I was so excited to transfer and most kids who transfer are as well. They are leaving what they did not like and going somewhere they think and hopefully will love.
