By Amaya Benzaquin-Magill — Correspondent
In 2023, more than 13 percent of students transferred colleges, up 5.3 percent from 2022, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
I understand why those students felt the need to escape their schools; I felt that urge as a Tulane University freshman in 2021.
But as I stood in Washington, D.C., tagging along on an emergency tour of Georgetown University (led by my best friend’s brother), I found myself asking the same question I’d asked at Tulane:
Is this place right for me?
During your first year of college — wherever it might be— certain things are bound to happen.
You’ll stand in the scorching August heat with all your belongings at the curb, questioning every choice that led you here.
There will be nights when you lie restlessly in your twin XL regretting bragging about your chosen roommate, whom you swore you knew well enough to embark on this journey with.
And the next morning, you’re at high risk of panicking at the dining hall and accidentally creating the strangest food combination you’ve ever seen.
You might continually wonder: Does any school have what I need?
Disappointed, I spoke to an upperclassman for support. I was in awe at the empire they’d built at school after transferring in one year prior.
“It’s all in the web you build for yourself,” she said. “I always have five people or things woven into my life that I love at all times connecting me to life here at school.”
Desperate, I took this advice to heart for the rest of my first year. I spent one particular evening juggling the commitments of rugby practice, sorority programming, club pickleball, and jazz combo, all conflicting with a soccer game.
Three years later, I am relieved to report, some activities have moved to the back burner.
Nowadays, my time is spent petting Jeffrey, our campus cat, and rehearsing with my five-piece combo, which has become a key thread connecting me with others and to the school. I watch my favorite music group, “Trumpet Mafia,” every Tuesday night, and am learning to ride my bike home from campus with no hands.
Most important, I look forward to red beans and rice from the dining hall each Monday.
Although it was initially daunting to find five people, things, or aspects of the school to engage in, it ultimately gave me a profound sense of grounding. I established strong roots, got traction, and now have a lifeline that helps me find my place and create the space I desire at school.
As you build, it is important to adjust your mindset to appreciate the journey and trust the process. Although it can be challenging withholding judgments in close quarters, I encourage you to instead embrace the diverse array of people and obstacles placed before you.
This year is especially meaningful for me, as it marks my last at Tulane.
How will I spend it?
Continuing to build.
