Transferring to Another University

If you are a soon-to-be high school graduate or recent high school graduate, you may be struggling to pick the perfect school for you. Attending information sessions, communicating with career counsellors, and conducting your own research can be great ways to determine which schools to apply to. Even so, you cannot determine how great your experience will be at a school until you are there. I know individuals who have transferred to different schools after only attending my school (Thompson Rivers University) for one year. In this post, you will learn the different reasons as to why I decided to transfer from TRU to the University of the Fraser Valley for the last year of my degree! I hope you enjoy reading and as always, thanks for visiting my blog!

I will never forget the email I got from Thompson Rivers University saying that I got in. Within seconds of reading that email, I felt a sort of happiness that I never experienced before. Instantly, I made the decision that I was going to go to that school! Previously, I toured the university, browsed their website and journalism program, and watched the university's Youtube videos. I knew I wanted to be in a journalism program and that I could experience so many exciting things living away from home and living in a new city.

Overall my first year of university was great! I was happy with the courses I was taking and the friends I made during the time. I got homesick towards the end of October that year. I took a plane to Vancouver on Remembrance Day long-weekend to visit my family as the weather conditions were not the safest. Seeing my family was great and instantly lifted my mood, however I still found myself missing my life in Kamloops. I had a great freshmen experience and hope that other freshmen experience the same as well! You may be wondering... if my first year at university was so great why am I deciding to transfer to another school? Let's dive into it!

I started to realize that as years went by I was slowly not enjoying myself. Kamloops, British Columbia is a great place to live if you love to spend your free-time outdoors... whether that be hiking during the spring/summer or skiing or snowboarding during the winter. Being raised in an urban city, I love city life. Don't get me wrong, I love how beautiful nature is, however I will always love the energy and vibrancy being in a big city brings. Kamloops felt like home to me, but now that feeling has vanished. Change is scary but I've found it a necessity at this point. A change in academic environments, activities to do, and people to be around sounds nothing but delightful to me! Not only am I seeking change, but have experienced change. I came into university not being in a relationship, but was blessed to have met someone who I have called my boyfriend for over two years. Change whether it be small or big, affects the course of your life. In my case, him and I make life decisions together and both see the value of transferring to another school.

At the end of the day you should be living a good quality of life as a student. That does not have to mean living in a luxurious condo and driving a $800,000 car, but you should be content with your life in school and outside of school. Don't put too much pressure on yourself when it comes to picking the "perfect" school. I recommend doing your research, trusting your instincts, and visiting schools in-person before applying! Just remember that change is not always a bad thing... it may be just what you need.