By Emma Bertsch, Contributing Writer
I am a first-year junior; at least that’s what it feels like. I am a junior that feels like a first-year. Last year at this time, I went to a different university and was pursuing an entirely different career path when I realized my passion for my major and love for my school were not something I could force; I had to make a change. So I began researching to find a career field I could see myself in, and in turn, find a school that could help me reach my career goals as well as feel like home. After months of completing the application process for the second time, I decided on Susquehanna.
I began my college experience at Susquehanna in the spring of 2021, entirely online. By that time, I had grown accustomed to taking classes online because of being fully virtual in spring of 2020 and partially virtual in all of 2020 at my previous institution, so it wasn’t a struggle; it was comfortable. I got to sleep in my own bed, see my two golden retrievers Finn and Clarke every day, and end the day with a nice home-cooked meal from my mom. It was the perfect situation for me, and I enjoyed it.
However, all good things must come to an end. The semester ended, and Susquehanna announced that fall of 2021 would be entirely in-person without an online option. As the days drew closer and closer to my move-in date, I felt a mix of emotions, the most prevalent one being nervousness. Here I was starting at a new school, in a new major, all by myself; it felt like the first day of freshman year all over again.
And so it began. I am a rather shy person, so I am fortunate to live with people who were very welcoming when I first arrived and continue to be as I become more comfortable and less timid. However, despite having good friends right from the start, the first week was overwhelming. I had been in the comfort of my home for the past nine months, and here I was throwing myself into an entirely different environment, on my own. I had no idea what I was doing.
Sometimes you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. What does that mean? It means that you have to understand that being out of your comfort zone is necessary to help you grow. How is it possible to be the best version of yourself if you can’t give yourself opportunities to show what you’re capable of doing? There are lots of things I thought I could not do: run more than two miles, ski down a black diamond slope, uproot my whole life and start over; not one of those things was easy for me, but they were so worth doing, especially the last one. I have always regretted not doing something out of fear, but I have never regretted pushing myself to do something that scares me. So for anyone who’s feeling a bit uncomfortable or overwhelmed, whether you’re a transfer student, first-year, or an upperclassman, you’re not alone. Still, it’s not the way you currently feel that makes you who you are as a person; it’s the way you deal with those feelings that help you grow.
Over the past three weeks, I have come to love Susquehanna. I love how many extra-curricular opportunities there are, all of the delicious dining options on campus, the beautiful architecture of the buildings, and I love what I’m studying and what direction my future is headed. So, despite the uncertainness and uncomfortableness that are inevitable parts of any new endeavor, I know that deciding to transfer was the right choice.
