Why Transferring Colleges Was The Best Decision For Me

College. From being allowed to do whatever you want to meeting new people, it’s what everyone in high school looks forward to for the next couple of years of their life after graduation.

Some students pick schools based on scholarships for grades or sports to continue their education, some pick based on location, and some who have no clue where they want to go just pick somewhere random.

For me, my plan was to play field hockey. I wasn’t thinking about the important or long term goals in life at that time, I was just set on sports.

Once I got to East Stroudsburg University, I realized pursuing a sport wasn’t in my future plans. Not only that, I realized there were things about my chosen college that didn’t make it a good fit for me. Although I had a great time there and made a great group of friends, I knew it wasn’t the school for me.

Back on the college hunt, one of my friends at ESU and I went on a college visit to WVU. We immediately fell in love, so we enrolled for that next Fall semester. Little did we know, we’d become best friends and had made the best decision of our lives.

Here are the reasons why transferring colleges was the best decision for me:

I Met My Forever Friends

Friendships must be built on a solid foundation of alcohol, sarcasm, inappropriateness, and shenanigans. That’s exactly what I found at WVU.

Living in the dorms the first year was the best experience because those friends in my dorm are my best friends that I have today.  From my first year to my last semester, WVU always knew how to have a good time. No matter where you and your friends ended up, it was always “a night to never forget.”

Since the campus was so big, you always had a friend nearby. Whether you were riding the PRT to and from class, walking through the Mountainlair or sweating it out at the gym, friends were forever surrounding you.

That was one of my favorite parts about transferring. You never felt alone and it was a comforting and fresh vibe from my previous college experience. WVU gave me my forever friends and I’m forever grateful for my decision of transferring schools.

The takeaway: There was nothing wrong with the people I met at my first school, but I met the people I truly connected with by putting myself in a place I truly connected with. There are good people everywhere–but you’ll find your people by going to the places that call to you.

The Campus Size Was a Better Fit

Transferring to WVU from ESU was quite a transition. I will say that switching from a small campus to a large one was challenging, but it was still one of the best years of my life.

There were many great and not-so-great experiences while transferring to a large campus, but these are what made those years the best:

• Not-so-great: Having to travel down from Evansdale Campus to Downtown on the PRT (personal rapid transit) was fun for about the first couple of days until you experienced the random breakdowns, jam packed cars, and all sorts of (unpleasant) smells. It wasn’t always fabulous, but it made for some great memories.
• Great: The sporting events such as basketball, football, and soccer were a blast because everyone was all about The Mountaineers. Standing in those cheering sections wearing the blue and gold made me feel like I was a part of something special.
• Great: The campus was very diverse which made my college experience more enjoyable. I got to meet people that I would have never met at a smaller school.
• Great: Various clubs and organizations were available to anyone on campus. I became a part PRSSA which made me choose my major and love the classes that followed that decision.

The takeaway: Even the *perfect* school for you might not be completely perfect in every aspect. Try to make the good outweigh the bad and look on the positive side of your uncomfortable experiences.

Choosing The Right Major For Me

Transferring to WVU, I knew I had a lot of options to choose from for what I was going to major in. Taking general education classes narrowed down my options of what was going to be my major. My major ended up being Public Relations with a Business Administration minor.

I knew that I always wanted to own a small business later on in life, and those two made the most sense. Being part of PRSSA and attending a couple conferences with other Public Relations majors and other students from multiple states made me fall in love with PR.

The takeaway: If you’re not happy with your current classes or major, it might be because the curriculum of your school isn’t right for you. There’s no shame in taking a step back, evaluating your needs and future career goals, and considering transferring schools.

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Choosing WVU as my transferring school was one of the best decisions because of my college experience it gave to me. Seeing the flying WVU flag everywhere you travel, even out of the country is one of the best feelings.

It was a school I was (and still am) very proud to attend.

I wouldn’t have some of the best friends I have today, my loving boyfriend, the education, and the entire college experience (parties and all) if I didn’t transfer schools.

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