Change is hard; whether we're ready for it or not. It's hard to leave something behind in which you were so comfortable with and move into the unknown. You're not sure whether to be excited, anxious, scared or all three. I made a major change in my life within the last year and I couldn't be happier that I made the decision I did.

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

My senior year of high school, I applied to nine schools and got in to seven of them. Great right? I was choosing a major I wanted to pursue based on classes I was taking, knowledge of the degree, and a career I would enjoy the rest of my life. Every time my mom mentioned going to community college I replied with the motto, "college is supposed to be the best four years of your life. I don't want to make it two." So I continued to pursue going to a four-year school until one day my sister came and sat on the couch and complained about her student loans. It was always such a disregard when I thought about the money I would have to pay once I graduated school, until I saw someone so close to me going through it. I realized I didn't want that, and coincidentally I could go to community college for free because of academic scholarship. Who doesn't like free! I stopped looking into going away and came to terms with the reality of me staying home. And it turned out to be the best decision I could have ever made.

We all like to think we're ready to be on our own, that's the way we all grow up; thinking after high school graduation we go off and "adult". But we're barely adults. A majority of us have relied on our family for food, laundry, sometimes money, and just daily activities. Staying home allowed me to mature on my own without having to "adult" before I was ready to. I excelled in classes, which were a lot harder in a lot of aspects than I expected, I excelled in basketball, a sport I was ready to give up, and I was starting to excel in life. I was learning how to handle all of my responsibilities in a timely manner without stressing myself out too much.

After my two years at community college, I graduated with my associates. In my mind, I was ready to leave the nest. I was so anxious to go to school in Florida, to enjoy the warm weather, and do my own thing. I was ready to stop playing basketball and enjoy the college life other people do. Until I reflected on myself and realized, I have the rest of my life to not be an athlete... I should take advantage of the opportunity while I have it. That's exactly what I did. I chose Stockton University, a college I wrote off because of the distance from home. I chose a school, not knowing much about it.

The unknown scared me a little bit. I didn't know if I would like being so close to home, if I would like my roommates, if classes would be too hard to handle, if I would enjoy playing on the team, etc. I now know I made the right decision. Stockton University has become such a great environment for me to learn how to "adult".

Transferring is hard, people already established themselves, in class and in social aspects, but I'm so happy I transferred here. I'm so happy I made the decision I did, to pursue my opportunities where I did. I'm relieved that the change I made was a positive one. It was hard leaving behind a place I got so comfortable with, but it's easy getting comfortable here at Stockton.