This blog is going to be all about my life as a transfer student and my transition from a Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat to a Drake University Bulldog.
Before College- Senior Year of HS
The thought of college always terrified me in high school, and when it was time to choose a place to go to for 4 years it was even scarier. I knew from the beginning, I wanted to go to a school that nobody from my graduating class was going to attend. I did this because I wanted to spread my own wings, and find new people. With that in the back of my head, going out of state was my first option. Every college I visited, it was a school that at least one of my family members attended. There were only 2 schools out of all I visited that I really loved, Northwest Missouri State University and Drake University. These two school had programs that I wanted to pursue in, had beautiful campuses, and they both felt like home to me (at the time).
Freshman Year- 2022 to 2023💚
Being 5 hours away from home was going to be a huge adjustment in my life that I was never prepared for. I wasn’t ready to be away from my family and my friends. The first few weeks of college were probably the worst weeks of my life, my roommate was TERRIBLE, I was dropped from sorority recruitment the first day, and I didn’t have many friends/people I knew down there. My mental health was at an all time low the first couple months, but throughout time it was bearable. I finally was in a sorority, I found a new roommate/friend, and stayed consistent with my academics. It wasn’t until winter break when I sat down with my parents and told them I wanted to transfer schools. They told me I had to finish out the year, which was fine because they knew how miserable I was down there.
Throughout the last semester, I was beginning to find little things that brought me joy on campus. One of them being finally having a really great group of friends, who will forever be in my heart. The other being my academics, I fell in love with media and my major. I dropped the sorority I was in because I didn’t make any connection with the girls and it wasn’t what I thought it was. In conclusion, some patches were rough in my first year of college but my time in Maryville will definitely be something that I will always remember.
Sophomore Year- 2023 to 2024💙
One of the key factors on why I transferred to Drake was the sense of community and love that everyone has for their majors and programs. I knew coming in that the School of Journalism was a family, but I didn’t realize how big of a family we all are. Another factor was that campus is located in Des Moines. I’ve lived a small portion of my life in Des Moines, and I really wanted to come back since I love the city.
Being about 2 and a half hours from home was a much better adjustment than 5! I have family members and friends who were going to be on campus, which made me feel a lot better about my 2nd year of college. From the start, it was already an amazing adjustment. Every single person I met within the first month of being on campus were so nice and welcoming. All my professors and classes were really amazing. Every relationship I have made on campus are amazing. I knew I made the right choice when transferring schools!
Conclusion
While being at Drake I have learned a lot about myself and others which made me put a new perspective on life. If you don’t feel right about something, do something about it and don’t just hide those feelings away. I have put myself out there more in different environments that I never imagined myself doing, and I am so happy that I did. I encourage all to do the same and do things they are afraid to do, because in the end you may enjoy it! In conclusion GO DOGS!! 🐶💙🤍