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!

Back to School

All I do is talk about St. Mike's, so you might not know it, but I'm actually a transfer. I was only at my previous school for a year, but it was a really hard decision to make when it came down to leaving. I don't regret it for a second, but I definitely miss a good chunk of people that I left behind.

This past weekend I made the trip to NY for a visit. Caroline and I hopped in the car on Friday after class and made the 2 1/2 hour trip with a quick pit-stop at Stewarts for the always incredible milkshakes.

Raspberry Chocolate Tort. Totally the way to go.

Being back was really strange. The campus felt so familiar, but different at the same time. Last time I visited I hadn't quite been at SMC for a year yet, so the school still kind of felt like it was mine. Now that I'm 100% accustomed to life at SMC it definitely felt like it was no longer my school. At the same time I knew where things were in the dining hall, how to order food (AND SMOOTHIES YUMMM) at the carry-out cafe, and where each building my friends lived in was located. I also recognized some faces, but for the most part, with two classes coming in since I had been there, everyone was a stranger to me.

It was definitely good to be back with all of my friends and to once again be the only girl sitting at a table of guys during dinner. We mostly just hung out and got each other caught up on our lives and I got to see everyone I miss while at St. Mike's.

Transferring was a big decision and it took a lot of time to make it. It was really hard to pack up my room and leave after freshman year and the drive home was definitely a sad one. I couldn't be more happy at SMC, but I'm really grateful to have had my freshman year in another place and to have kept all of the connections I made there.

Ryan, me, Lanky, and Adam
Saturday afternoon Scrabble. I lost. Big time.

I'll Never Let You Go

This weekend was a fun one at SMC, the highlight being the Third Eye Blind concert on Friday night. Now my 90's music knowledge is quite extensive, but leans toward the Hanson/Spice Girls/Backstreet Boys genre. (It sounds ridiculous, but honestly tell me that if Wannabe or MmmBop came on you wouldn't still know the words. If you say you wouldn't you're lying through your teeth.) As far as TEB goes I knew the three standards (Semi-Charmed Life, Jumper, and Never Let You Go), but past that I was slightly lost, jumping around like I actually knew the words to the songs I was singing.

My massive amount of fun can't only be attributed to TEB's show. In fact, I probably wouldn't have even gone on my own. It was my group of friends from my "ex-school" that led me to buy tickets. Six of my friends from my old school made the three hour drive up to go to the concert.

I would like to point out the significance of this event for those of you who are nervous about leaving friends at home or even a school you may be transferring from as I did. I'm still close with the friends that I left. I remember when I went off to college for the first time all of my best friends saw me off the night before. We were terrified of what might happen. Would we stay in touch? Would we still be friends if we didn't? Yet every time we're home we get together and it feels like we never left.

It's the same for my ex-school. One of my few reasons for potentially staying was the group of close friends I had acquired. Though they were upset about it the group did not outweigh my reasons to leave. However, while I may have left my old school it does not mean I completely left everything behind. I regularly keep in touch with each of my friends. I still know the gossip and goings on of the group even though I'm not there to be a part of it. When I went back a few weekends ago it was like I had never left. It was strange to be on the campus that I knew well, but was now slightly foreign, but everyone was happy to see me and nothing had really changed. I now have so many great friends from home, my old school, and, of course, St. Mike's.

Leaving doesn't always mean the people you knew there are gone. This weekend is definite evidence of this. I miss my old friends like crazy, but I love the new friends I've found here. I've never regretted transferring and having the two worlds collide made the weekend great.

Now, do us both a favor and consider the title of this post. I'm quite proud. Title of TEB song + mad cheesiness based on the content of the post = Sam attempting to be clever. Please soak it in and enjoy.

Some of the group from my old school on a hike last spring

Me and two lovely ladies of SMC on Saturday

(Sam, Erin, Me)