I am a transfer student. I spent two years attending Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa before coming to the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. At first I was excited to start a new life at a new school. It was different and to be honest, not an easy transition, but I began to settle down after a while. My new school is a little bit bigger than my old one, but class sizes are about the same. Other similarities include the laid-back professors, the kind students, and a beautiful campus. However, there is one major difference between Drake and UW-W that I overlook when I first made the transition; the surrounding towns.

Drake University is located in Des Moines, Iowa, as I mentioned before. It is a small university in a medium-sized city. Des Moines is not unlike my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. They're both the capital city of their states and roughly the same size. Both of these cities are pretty quirky and have a lot of offer everyone who either lives there or is visiting. Des Moines became a second home to me quite easily because it is so similar to Madison. I also fell n love with Des Moines because of what it had to offer that other towns didn't. The people were very friendly, the food was very good, and there was always something to do.

Whitewater, on the other hand, is very different from Des Moines. It's a small town located in rural Wisconsin. When I transferred to UW-W, I felt constant culture shock. This town was so small, you can't even get a Uber, but because it is so small everything is within an easy walking or bike-riding distance. Whitewater has a certain small-town charm about it. The people are also very friendly and everyone seems to know everyone. Whitewater also has an interesting history. I recently joined the Second Salem Paranormal Investigation Team on campus and learned about the history of spiritualism, axe murders, and hauntings in the town. I am excited to learn more to say the least.

Although the culture shock of moving from the city to a small town is slowly wearing off, I'm still learning new things everyday about living in a different environment than I'm used to. Whitewater has pushed me outside of my comfort zone. Isn't that what college is all about? If we stayed within our comfort zone we would know nothing about ourselves and the world around us. I had an easy adjustment to living in Des Moines because it's so similar to Madison. However, I enjoy living in Whitewater too. These towns may be very different, but my love for both of them is the same.