Nearly thirty-eight percent of college students end up transferring out of the school they applied and committed to before they graduate. A lot of high school students dream of having the "college experience" but soon realize that that experience is not exactly what they hoped for.
I was THAT high school student. The one that's committed to their dream university the second they were accepted. I visited about three other colleges, but none of them stood out to me like Rutgers University did, it was love at first sight. Of course later on down the line I eventually researched the academic aspect of Rutgers because what really sold me was its social atmosphere: nearly 33,000 students, widely known football team, five campuses, crazy school spirit and the fact that you can buy anything with the Rutgers logo on it from playing cards to toe rings. To top it off, my best friend was also attending and we decided to be roommates! I was part of the 37.2 percent because I let all of this get to my head way too easily. I was so eager to get to experience “college” like the movies: living in a dorm room, being on my own, going to crazy parties. I wanted so bad to be a part of a school where you didn’t see the same person twice. So I let the "little fish big pond" phenomenon slip my mind.
My dream school turned on me rather quickly. My lack of research on the types of academic opportunities Rutgers possessed for English Education majors started to bubble to the surface. Being away from home became a lot harder than I imagined. The classes were so large, sometimes 100 students, that I did not feel like a priority to any of my professors. I did not meet one person there that was studying to be a teacher also, which made me come to realize that Rutgers wasn't exactly the best school for prospective teachers. I was constantly distracted and just found myself slipping more and more into a dark hole.
After freshman year, I just knew that I couldn’t go back there. It was the hardest realization to come to and it took me a long time to even admit to myself that I wasn’t happy there nor was I striving academically. I was so afraid to tell people that I didn’t want to attend Rutgers anymore, especially my best friend. I had made everyone I knew so excited and proud of me that I was attending such a prestigious school. I felt ashamed and embarrassed that I wanted to go back home and possibly commute instead.
What would my friends and family think of me now? I even contemplated going back to Rutgers just because I was worried about what everyone would think? Would they think I was crazy because I rather live at home than get “the college experience” of living away? Would they think I was even crazier for wanting to attend a school much smaller with fewer students after talking nonstop about attending RU and how excited I was? I had so many crazy thoughts and found myself more concerned about everyone else, than myself. I knew I wasn’t myself at Rutgers and felt suffocated by this feeling. I didn't feel like I would be able to grow into who I knew I could be there. So I came to the conclusion to leave Rutgers and transfer to Georgian Court University.
This was the hardest yet the best decision I could have ever made. I fought constantly with my own head on what to do. When I finally realized that I needed to make this decision to better my life and to not worry about the judgment of others, I felt free. So I’m here to tell you that wanting to transfer is nothing to feel ashamed of or be embarrassed about. Ultimately, you know what is best for you and you know what is right for your future. If attending the school you’re at now is not making you truly happy then making the switch might save your life.
It sounds dramatic, but it is true because I am the perfect example. I don't even want to think of where I might be if I decided to stay somewhere that I just didn't fit in at. This experience not only helped me tremendously academically because my grades improved a ton, but it also taught me a valuable lesson about life: sometimes the hardest decisions you’ll have to make are the ones that make the greatest difference. Never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, especially if you know it will make you more content with your life. Don't ever be afraid to change things about your life and don't let others opinions steer your life. Just know that you could have possibly saved yourself from making the worst decision instead of the best decision!
