My Story
“I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and my cardigan.” To most people this is nothing other than a line from a Miley Cyrus song, but to me it was my reality. On August 19, 2015, I left my home in Pennsylvania to fly out to Los Angeles to attend California State University, Northridge—and yes, I did wear a cardigan.
Moving to California was something that I had always dreamed of doing ever since I was a little kid and lucky for me everything worked out to allow me to accomplish that dream. I had the time of my life! I fell in love with my school and everything about it, including the fact that my library was used as the setting for the movie Sky High. I made a lot of new friends, got to explore California, joined a sorority, and made so many memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. It was an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world!
The Change
Obviously, since I am currently a student at West Chester, that dream didn’t last forever. After 2 years, I decided to transfer back and be closer to home for my remaining years in college. If I’m being totally honest, I can’t fully explain what made me decide to come back home and give up living in California. I loved being out there and I had so many great people around me, but it just didn’t feel like the right fit for me anymore. I started to get homesick more often during my last semester there and while I was home for summer vacation I decided to apply to West Chester University and be only 50 miles away from home as opposed to 2,300 miles away.
The Transition
The transition was definitely rough at first. I didn’t really know anyone other than the few people from my high school that I hadn’t talked to in over 2 years. It was lonely at the start. I even regretted transferring in the very beginning. Thankfully, I ended up adjusting to being back home after a couple of months once I felt more comfortable. I learned very quickly that I wasn’t alone and there were a lot of other transfer students. I even met my boyfriend at transfer student orientation. I have always been a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, and my transferring situation is no exception.
Lessons Learned
Transferring to a new school is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Credits don’t always transfer. You can be behind on classes and curriculum isn’t always the same. The people are different and you have to get adjusted to everything that is changing. It’s easy to feel discouraged when you have to start all over and make a new life at a new school. However, instead of getting lost on that track why not take advantage of the new setting and use it to make your life better? Go out, make new friends, have fun, and don’t take the college experience for granted.
People who helped
Advisors are big asset that can be really helpful and make sure that you graduate on time. Your professors are willing to work with you to help you adjust. Also, office hours aren’t actually scary to go to!
Embrace the experience
College is stressful, and it can be even more stressful after transferring, but it is so important to take the time to enjoy yourself and live your life. Find your own happiness and don’t lose who you are in this new environment. When adjusting to a new school, don’t go looking for just anyone to hang out with just so you won’t be by yourself. Rather, find quality people that actually care about you.
If you aren’t off to the quickest start to making new friends, don’t be afraid to spend time alone. You can learn a lot about who you are going through big changes like this. I know I did and you won’t regret it. Lastly, don’t be afraid to still love your old school or talk about things you experienced there, it’s still a big part of your life that you don’t have to let go of. Those memories aren’t going anywhere, and there is plenty of room to make new ones so make the most of it!
