In October of 2018, I was an Elementary Education Major at the University of Central Missouri. Then one night, with the help of my best friend/roommate, 3 energy drinks, and my mental state at 3 a.m., I decided I did not want to be teaching major or even be a Mule anymore. I was not happy at UCM anymore, I spent every day laying in bed questioning every decision I made. Something was missing.
And don't get me wrong. I had great friends and wonderful time while I attended UCM. It is a great school with wonderful professors. But I outgrew it.
The next morning I called my parents, 6 days later I applied to MSU. Now my parents were not exactly supportive at first, I was more than halfway through my teaching degree and I had already made connections through the workforce for a teaching job after I finished. While I knew they were right and I should've just finished my degree, there was something pushing me back home. My parents finally came around and helped me with everything I needed. So in the first week of December of 2018, I packed up all my belongings and headed home. Now you may be thinking that this is a very impulsive decision and you are right. I was not prepared for the journey that I started.
Fast forward to mid-January of 2019, I had successfully registered for classes and moved back home to live with my parents. The start of the semester was hard, 15 credit hours of business classes that I could not quite get the hang of, driving 35 minutes to school every morning, and dealing with the stresses of trying to find a job is not exactly what I thought would happen when I realized I would be coming home. School is hard sometimes and it is difficult to juggle all of the responsibilities in life. But it got better. I have the perfect playlist for my drive every morning, I found what studying works for me, and I found a job for the summer. School used to be such a burden for me and I was nowhere near healthy. I used to hate school, studying, or even being near the library. Now I stay after school to study, I go to the library now, and I enjoy waking up in the morning. I am happier and healthier at MSU, I have new friends, a new puppy (which definitely helps), and I have more support.
Don't be afraid to take a leap of faith, even if it's moving back home, trying a new gym, or raising your hand in class. It is courageous to try anything new and to push the boundaries. I am lucky to have the friends and family I do that supported me through this big change. On top of that, don't let people tell you college is not hard. It is, but you figure it out. I don't have everything figured out by any means but I am on my way there.
