Being in school is something that the majority of people do for a solid twelve years, if not more. This being said, attending the right school for you is something that is extremely important. Whether it be during your younger elementary school days, your high school days, or your college days (if you choose to go), being enrolled in a school that is beneficial to you is something that is necessary for success.

I’ll start off with my own personal experience with this topic. If you know me well enough, you know that I attended two different schools while I was in fifth grade, went to three different high schools during my high school years, and two different colleges over the course of one year. So when you add it all up, I’ve attended eight different schools since I was in first grade (I’m counting middle school in this because I stayed in my middle school for all three years). Finding the right school for me has always been a very prominent thing in my life. Finding it can be difficult, but when you do, it is a great feeling.

High school is a lot different than any previous schooling that you have had, and if you didn’t know that already, then maybe you need to go back to first grade and compare it to being a freshman. My freshman year was a nightmare. No, I am not exaggerating… It was one of the worst times of my entire life. I found myself with only one real friend, whom I did not have any classes with, and hung around with people who admitted they felt bad for me, and that was why they sat with me at lunch.

To make matters worse, the academics were really hard and the teachers seemed so intimidating and rude that I never felt comfortable going to them for extra help. I felt trapped and I hated it. This sent me into a dark place, which is another story for another time. All I can say is that I stopped going to school only two and a half months in, and I was still enrolled.

It wasn’t until a few months after I outwardly expressed my feelings about my current school that I finally transferred to a place that was much smaller and quaint. I liked it there, a lot actually. I made friends, the school work didn’t stress me out like before, and I thought I finally found my high school. I was wrong. Sadly, that school lost its funding for the high school program and was to be shut down after the current school year ended. What a slap in the face that was. Not only did I have to find yet another school, but I had to start all over. I was afraid and worried I would find myself in the same place as before.

Luckily, I ended up happy. After looking up different schools that I could attend, I finally found a technical school just 20 minutes away. I found out I got in a few weeks later and was excited and nervous. After the first day of my sophomore year at that school, I knew it was for me. From that point to the day I graduated, I found myself excelling academically, becoming closer to the people I still call my friends today than with the people I had known since I was young, and actually enjoying school for the first time in years. It took a lot of work and it was a struggle, but I found the right school for me and it really paid off.

I experienced the same type of feelings when I started college last semester. But since I had recognized these feelings, and realized that the school I was attending was not for me, I got out of it. I transferred to my current university, starting this past spring semester, and find myself a lot happier and better off than I was last semester. Let me tell you, it’s not fun having to transfer to new places all the time. But, I wanted to be happy and I wanted to get something positive out of my schooling, so I did what was needed to be done. And I am thankful for that.

Some people have doubts about school that they never address, and it can really hurt in the long run. Speak up! Don’t be afraid of what others will say and think. Only YOU know what is best for you. Not your parents, not your friends, only you. It is okay not to feel safe and happy and supported at the school you are attending. Just raise your voice and get the help you need to find the right school for you.

I wrote about my own personal experience because I see it as some sort of a lesson I can teach others. I would never want anyone to have to go through what I have gone through. I want everyone to find the school where they feel as if they will strive, succeed, and most importantly, be happy.

Happiness is key, and so is getting that diploma or degree. It would be an absolute struggle to spend years at a place you were unhappy in, just to leave feeling as if you escaped prison or something. I mean, if you’re not happy and feel as if you don’t belong there, how much will you really learn? No matter what it takes, finding the right school for you is something that is extremely important, and worth every hardship along the way.