When asked what we want to do with our lives at such a young age, we believe that we have to have a dead set, step-by-step itinerary outlining the basis of our future. I became a victim to my own detailed itinerary that I never stopped to think, what if my plan changes?
It has been my dream to live in New York City since I was a little girl and I didn't take the opportunity when it was right in front of me a year ago. Now, though, I have decided it's my turn to prioritize my future and my happiness.
This may come as a surprise to many, but I will no longer be a Syracuse student, and before the rumors start, I would like to address why.
My career and my education will flourish in Manhattan.
I am a retail management major in Whitman and while it is a renowned business school, I don't believe it has the connections within the fashion industry I was looking for. My new school is in the heart of Manhattan with a distinct focus in fashion merchandising. Fifth Ave is also only a few blocks away and I couldn't ask for a better opportunity to pursue my dreams.
This has nothing to do with my ex-boyfriend.
It's a shame that I have to address this point, but I'm more intuitive than many believe, so I am sure this will be a hot topic of conversation.
Many people witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly of our break up, but it's been five months, it's over. We aren't in contact and we don't have influence over each other's lives. While, yes, it is nice to have a clean slate where no one knows my past or watches my present actions, it's not enough to uproot my entire life.
Our break up made the first semester harder than it needed to be, but many should know by now I am not likely to allow one individual to impact the rest of my life. It was a growing experience, nonetheless, but I make my decisions based off of what is best for me, not on the presence of the past.
First semester is hard, yes, but the type of people I met were the type I left New Jersey to get away from.
I am not here to bash the names of anyone I have met throughout the first semester, but I will simply say that it was too high school for me.
It shouldn't matter the designer label of the jacket we wear nor should it matter who we decide to sleep with at night. As we become adults, we are going to make mistakes and we are going to learn from them, but who gives each other the right to discredit another's reputation and worth based on sorority recruitment or one drunken mishap?
I take full responsibility for the mistakes I have made and I acknowledge the times where I should've taken an extra second to think before I acted. Though, the way people talk about each other and slander the names of a so-called friend does not leave me with the warmest of feelings. We're supposed to be aspiring adults, at the end of the day, so let's start acting like one.
It was the hardest decision of my life, but my family and I came to the decision together that it would be what is best for me.
It was scary at first to acknowledge that what I once believed was my dream school, turned out to be anything but, but my mom made me realize that sometimes in life plans change and we have to be ready for that change.
Uprooting my entire life for the second time within the past year is stressful in itself, but also leaving behind my best friend was not an easy decision. All-nighters in Bird Library and daily stops at Chipotle on Marshall are memories unique to our friendship and it's heartbreaking to think I won't be there to create more.
I'll be living in a new city with new people and it's terrifying to have this clean slate, but it's also beautiful. Not many people receive the opportunity to pursue what they're truly passionate about and I thank, from the bottom of my heart, my family and my friends for all of the love and support I have received through this time.
People will talk regardless and they may do as they please. In the end, my family and my closest friends know the truth.
Regardless of the mistakes I made first semester, I will never speak poorly on behalf of Syracuse because the university truly did provide me with unforgettable experiences and two of my lifelong best friends. It just wasn't the best fit for me and I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavors.
