Starting Over - Transferring to SMC

As a senior I sometimes forget that I was actually a transfer. I'm only reminded when people ask whether I lived in Joyce, Ryan, or Lyons as a First Year. For the most part, other people don't realize it either. Even my closest friends will ask if I remember something from that year. It's really nice to feel like such a part of the community that nobody, myself included, can imagine a time when I wasn't there.

On the other hand, there are times when I really miss my friends from my old school. Transferring was a really hard decision. While I'm glad I'm at SMC, I had to leave a lot of people behind to be there.

When making the decision to transfer I first struggled because
1) I was afraid to start over
2) I was afraid to throw myself into a school where everyone already had an entire year together
3) Terrified it would be worse than where I already was and I'd be more miserable
4) Most of all, I didn't want to leave my friends

BBQ at the end of freshman year

In the end everything worked out perfectly...

1) While I was still starting over it gave me the opportunity to use what I had learned from the previous year to do a little better than I had before. I knew the best way to meet people was to get involved, so the first thing I did was join the Cross Country team. We had pre-season before Orientation week, so I had friends before school even started. I had also grown in my first year, so when I started at SMC I wasn't nearly as shy and able to get to know people more quickly. Plus, at St. Mike's everyone is so friendly anyway it was really easy to make new friends.

2) It turns out I wasn't the only transfer around. Most of us were placed in the same hallway in Ryan so that those of us that were all in the same position could live together. It was a really helpful start to the year and soon we all branched out. You don't meet every single person in your class your first year, so a lot of people don't even realize you weren't there the year before.

3) I was lucky enough to already have friends at St. Mike's so I was able to visit and get a feel for the campus. However, this wasn't enough for me to not worry that I wouldn't like it. But the way I see it, I wasn't very happy at my old school. It was more than worth it to go and try something new and see if it fit. Worst case scenario? I guess I could have gone back to my old school, but I took the leap and it was definitely worth it. If something's not right you know, so don't stay with it just because you're nervous something else won't work out.

Me, Britt, Audrey (Aud also transferred), and Izzy
freshman year

4) This was the big one. While I was generally unhappy with my experience at my old school, I did have some great friends that I really didn't want to leave behind. In my first weeks at SMC when they'd jokingly text me to go to dinner it was extremely painful and there were many days where I would think to myself, "What have I done?!" But the truth is, if they're good enough friends in the first place you'll stay in touch and you won't completely lose them. I'm currently typing this blog post from the couch of their townhouse. I've come back every year to visit (here's a post from last year) and they even came to visit me once. (Adam even mentions me in his blog sometimes. What an honor.)

Izzy, Robin, Britt, and I
senior year

In the end I wound up with so much more by transferring than I would have if I stayed. I have incredible friends at both schools, so many more opportunities in SMC's education program, and a community I'm happy to be a part of. I'm extremely grateful for my first year as I gained great friends as well as experiences that helped me appreciate SMC even more.

I hope this post gets to anyone thinking about transferring and helps make the decision easier. If you have any questions at all you know where to find me! Check out the Contact Me tab!