Friday, July 25, 2014

Dream College? Maybe Not...

Now that my first year of college ended, I have gotten the chance to reconnect with some of my high school friends. It is funny to talk to them now after a year apart, because I am noticing some subtle differences between them now and who they were when we graduated. At their cores, they have all mostly stayed the same. Of course, they may have tried something new, like sororities, club sports, or even changed their majors. But the thing that really took me by surprise was that the very colleges that they were so excited to attend a year ago have now lost their luster. And what's more: they are now transferring colleges.

As shocking as it is sometimes to hear that your friends are changing colleges, I can certainly understand their motives behind the switch. Picking a college is hard enough in high school. You visit  what seems like a thousand colleges, you decide which schools you want to apply to, you get accepted to certain colleges, and then you have to make a decision. There is so much pressure on you while making this decision, how do you know that you are making the right decision in that very moment? You don't.

And then you get to college, and it is not the gorgeously staged picture in the brochure anymore. You are living it in real life, in real time, whether you are living on campus or not. You learn the ins and outs of the campus, the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful and everything in between. You may like what you find or you may find that it is not right for you. But realize that the decision you made back on May 1st is not set in stone. You are more than allowed to leave and start anew at another school.

It is OKAY to leave the school that you initially chose. If it doesn't fit who you are, your dreams, goals, personality, whatever the case may be, you can leave. It is not a binding contract; you can decide to attend another school that more closely aligns with your desires and goals.

In the end, it is all about you being happy and pursuing the path that is best for you!

Until next time,

That Helpful University Girl =)


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