I’m now a senior in college, and everyday I wake up shocked that the past four years have flown by so quickly. My experience at Boston University has been incredible — I’ve met the most amazing friends, traveled the world during study abroad, ran my college newspaper and am now interning with a national outlet.
But when I first got to BU I was not living the fantasy I had imagined. I’m an out of state student, and I didn’t know anyone else coming to Boston for school. I quickly grew homesick and worried I had made a mistake. I didn’t immediately have a group of friends to call my own or have plans every day of the week, which made me feel like I was missing out on the college experience.
I felt like an outsider at times, and I was truly worried I would never adjust to college. At one point I wanted to transfer to a school back in my home state of Texas to be closer to friends and family.
But, I stuck it out at BU because I wanted to challenge myself. Ever since I was 15 years old I knew I wanted to go to school out of state, and I knew BU had so many opporutntieis for me — I just needed to take them.
Now, four years later, I have friends I can call family in Boston, and I’m so proud of my achievements. My life would’ve been so different had I gone to school in Texas or transferred after my freshman year. But I am so happy that I’m on this path; I’m proud of myself for moving halfway across the country and starting a new life for myself. It was difficult in the beginning and still is at times, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
To all of the highschool seniors or current college freshmen, if you’re scared about going to school out of state or if your experience isn’t shaping out to be what you wanted that’s completely normal. You’re not alone in that struggle to find your college fairytale. Just trust yourself, be confident and you’ll find a space where you thrive.
