My friends have asked me, “do you really want to go back to the university you were at?”
At first, I didn’t know what to say. But later, I had a realization that made me feel more at peace with my choice to return.
I didn’t accept my offer from my current college because I did a lot of the research online about the mental health services and loved the way the administration handled things. I chose it because of the award-winning professors who are leaders in their field, the diverse group of students who were able to accomplish so much in high school, the city we are close to, the beautiful, historic buildings on campus, and the vast network of successful alumni. During my senior year of high school, I did research on those things because I knew it was what I valued most in my college experience. Those expectations have been matched and even exceeded. So, no, I don’t for a second regret choosing this campus to call home. This is where I want to be.
If I were to transfer universities, I would be running away. Running away from the dark mental health struggles I experienced and likely would have experienced at any other college. Running away from my best friend, who Ubered to the hospital five days a week to check in on me. Running away from the research that excites me. It would be about running away from my current life and trying to evade all these struggles, not running towards a better opportunity. A question that I’ve started to ask myself a lot, when it comes to career choices or other important directional changes in my life, is: am I running away from my current position or running towards a better opportunity? When the answer is that I would be running away, I will myself to stay put and fix the underlying problem.
Comments