I went to college because I had to. I knew that my family would be disappointed if I didn’t go. Initially, I did not get accepted into my first choice school (UNG Dahlonega), so by default I went to my backup: Young Harris College.

Young Harris is a great school, don’t get me wrong. It’s a small community; everyone knows everyone. I did enjoy the small classes at the atmosphere of a mountain college. I loved my classes because I love to learn. However, the college atmosphere just was not for me. I was coming home every weekend. I missed my family, and my homesickness was grueling. I moved off campus, and I still just wanted to be home. I eventually figured out that I didn’t want to leave home. I wasn’t ready. It wasn’t my choice.

I learned that I loved learning. Each new class was an adventure, and I enjoy taking notes and gaining knowledge on subjects I’m interested in. I love taking college classes! However, that was the only thing to bring me joy (besides some good friends) at Young Harris, and that was a problem.

I went to college because I thought I had to, I thought that was what people my age were supposed to do. We are supposed to leave home, be on our own, join sororities and have a blast. That’s not what college is like to me. To me, college is where we go to educate ourselves and prepare for our future careers. It’s not about parties, drinking or even joining clubs. That is something that I could do on my own time, but having a high GPA is just more important to me. That’s why I chose to transfer to a school that wasn’t all about the “college atmosphere” -- UNG Gainesville.

Most people don’t think of the Gainesville campus as a final destination, but at the time I did. This campus offers an environment that is very calm. The students are there to study, go to class, and go home. They keep their personal lives separate from school, which is really what I wanted.

I moved back home, and it was the best decision I could have made. It gave me time to adjust to being where I really wanted to be. Now that I’ve been home for almost a year, I’m finally comfortable enough to make the choice to move out. I’m ready to take the leap. I’m ready in a way I wasn’t before when I moved to Young Harris.

College isn’t for me because I like to keep my personal life separate from it. I thought that I would love a small community, but I didn’t because there was so much pressure to conform. College is for me because I love taking classes and getting my education. I know that there are a lot of people like me, but for a while, I felt alone. I felt like going home every weekend made me a failure. It didn’t.

When you’re ready to leave home, you will. It’s my choice to make (well, my parents' too), not anyone else’s. I’ve never handled change well. I know, now, that I’m ready to be on my own, and I feel no pressure.

College isn’t for everyone, for many reasons. I love going to college, but I like to remove myself from the college atmosphere. That’s why college is, and isn’t, for me.