Toward the end of my senior year of high school, I was thrilled to be getting acceptance letters for a wide range of schools and eventually choosing Worcester State! I was scared for orientation, as with everybody else, but I had fun, and I was ready to take on college. I was ready to move in, meet my roommate, start classes and experience the freedom and opportunities that came along with being in college. Then, it hit me.

I cried alone in my bed multiple times. I missed the comfort of my own home, my family, my friends who all attend college in Boston. I hated swiping my ID every time I needed to use the bathroom. I hated wearing flip flops every time I needed to shower. I just hated it, and I was not happy at all. The start to this new journey was not all that it was cracked up to be.

Less than two weeks of being there had passed, and that's when I decided to drop out. Why should I be in an environment I absolutely hated? I got some criticism from some about dropping out, but for the most part, everyone was helpful and supportive of my decision.

I want to shed light on the decision of dropping out. People drop out for many reasons, and just because they do, does not mean it is OK to judge them for that. Maybe they were unhappy, maybe did not have the financial resources needed to keep attending or maybe they just found out that college is not for them.

There is such a huge norm that once you graduate high school, you have to go to college immediately after, and dropping out is frowned upon. I'm not a bad person for dropping out, and I'm not a bad person for deciding what I thought was best for me at that point in time. I'm not a bad person for choosing to go back, and I wouldn't be a bad person if I decided not to, either. Some people might want to take a semester off, or even a few years, some might decide to go into the workforce, others might join the army. Whatever it is, there are so many other options other than just college.

Personally, after leaving for the fall semester and occupying my time by hostessing at a local restaurant, I decided it was time to go back. I wanted to go back and learn, but others may not choose to go back to school like I did. I returned to the same school (Worcester State) for the spring semester. This time around, I absolutely loved it. I made some great friends, and although we just got out not too long ago, I'm so ready to go back!

While all my friends just finished their first year of college, I’m a lone wolf who just finished her first semester. I'm not graduating on time in 2019 like expected since I am a semester behind, but that’s totally fine!

It's OK to be on a different path than everyone else. There are so many options out there — don't limit yourself to just going to college.