During my sophomore year at Central Connecticut State University, I considered transferring to another college. It had nothing to do with the level of education, but more so with my social life.
I had friends at my original, smaller school, but when a close friend from high school asked me to switch to the larger University of Connecticut and get an off-campus apartment together, I jumped at the opportunity.
After submitting an application and confirming my classes would transfer, I left for the new school. It wasn’t what I thought it would be.
The transfer messed up my credits
I started my college career at Central Connecticut State University, majoring in psychology. I loved the coursework and the campus, but the school I transferred to, the University of Connecticut, was only about 45 minutes away.
Since both are Connecticut state schools, the majority of my classes would transfer, and I would be able to keep my degree progress while trying out the new environment. At least, that was what I thought.
I found UConn to be a beautiful school and met many great people, but the credits I had accrued could not be transferred as I had thought.
I have always been one to try to get ahead, so even as a sophomore, I had taken many junior- and senior-level classes that I knew were required for a psychology degree. What I did not know, however, was that there was a limit to how many credits could transfer over. While the courses were considered equivalent, I would have had to repeat a number of classes I had already agonizingly completed.
Courtest of Teddy Rainville
It was a shock to learn, especially as I had already become well aware of the student loan debt I was accruing. Adding semesters or even years to that bill would’ve been more than I could handle.
Fortunately, with the help of my advisor, I was able to switch into gen-ed classes for a semester that would come with me when I inevitably transferred back.
I transferred back to my original college
I considered my time at UConn as my “semester abroad,” which, for as much as I loved it, came to its necessary end. Even in the few months I was there, I met many wonderful friends who I have to this day, not to mention being inducted into the International Honors Society in Psychology.
Going back to CCSU just a semester later felt like coming home, solidifying in my young mind the real meaning behind the phrase, “You don’t know what you have until you’ve lost it.”
Upon my return, I brought over all the gen-ed classes I had completed in my prior semester. I only had one class missing, which I took as a summer course, so I stayed on track for a timely graduation.
It felt good to get back to what I knew: small class sizes, attentive professors, and familiar classmates. I felt like I fit in more at CCSU than in the lecture halls of a big school like UConn.
It also played to my favor once again that the two universities were so close to each other, as I was now able to return to my friends at CCSU and visit my new friends for a quick weekend getaway.
I learned that some decisions are never permanent
Sometimes things don’t work out for a reason, and that’s a lesson I took with me into my adult life after graduation.
College is important, and no matter where you end up, you have to go with your gut when staking such a high investment on your instincts. I felt confident I could have repeated the courses I needed at UConn and probably do even better than I did the first time around, but I knew I belonged elsewhere.
To this day, I am a proud Blue Devil, but I will always give a hearty “Roll ‘Skies” when I see any of their sports teams playing.
Not every decision has to be final. Even though changing your mind will be hard, sometimes it’s the best thing you can do for yourself.
