Transferring colleges is something I never thought I would do. In fact, I hated the thought of it. I loved The Ohio State University the moment I stepped on campus. I was doing well in school, I made great friends, and I had a great social life.

The only thing I wasn’t doing well with was figuring out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I changed my major twice in the two years I was at Ohio State, and that resulted in an additional year of school to make up necessary classes. This and thanks to high out-of-state tuition costs, I found myself transferring schools to a college that guaranteed I still graduated in four years instead of five.

At first, I resented being on my new campus. I felt alone. I felt miserable. All I wanted to do was go back to being a Buckeye with my friends.

Almost two years have passed since I transferred. With three months until graduation, I find myself thinking about how I thought I would be graduating with my friends who I started college with: We would be having our graduation ceremony on the big football field in The Shoe, and I would be presented a diploma from The Ohio State University. Although this won’t be the case, I have learned a few things from transferring that I think all students should know if they end up in this situation.

You will make more friends.

One of the hardest things about transferring was leaving the people I made my first college memories with. I had a perfect friend group, and I hated the fact that I was missing out on the last two years of college together. When I transferred, I felt left out and felt I didn’t belong because I didn’t have that friend group anymore. However, when I finally accepted the fact that I was at a new school, I made new friends. I even found myself a boyfriend, and I made new memories.

Change can actually be a good thing.

Change can suck sometimes, but change can also be a good thing. It is unlikely that you will stay in one place the rest of your life. You have to learn how to meet new people and adjust to where you are going.

Even though I moved back to a college that is closer to home, it was still a big change. The good thing was that I was closer to my family, but I had to adjust being on a completely different campus surrounded by people I didn’t know (besides a few people from high school), and I’ve learned to love it.

I’ve learned more about myself.

At first, I hated to admit this, but I learned that I was doing better at a smaller school. I've made Dean’s List every semester, I’ve talked with others about job opportunities and I’ve finally figured out the field I want to go into when I graduate.

Has it been hard? Yes.

Were there times I wished I was back at Ohio State? Most definitely.

However, it’s all part of the process. Transferring has offered a lot of opportunities to me that I honestly cannot say whether or not I would have discovered if I stayed where I was. I may have still been clueless about my future, and despite missing the people and the atmosphere I left, college doesn’t last forever, and your future is the most important thing you have to think about in these years.

So, if you are a new transfer student this semester or thinking about transferring next school year, remember things will work out. They always do. You’ll meet new friends, you’ll make new memories and maybe new opportunities will present themselves.

Make your college experience what you want it to be.