Hi, my name is Caroline and I am a transfer student at UGA. Originally from Georgia, I grew up loving where I was from, but like most teenagers when they graduate highschool, I wished to spread my wings and explore new territory during my college years.
I decided to attend Ole Miss - a fantastic school, rooted in the heart of the south and surrounded by classic charm that you just can not deny. Also, it was far from home. Score. I loved my family and friends but it was time for a change.
A couple of months in, I was starting to get homesick. I knew I wanted to transfer due to this and other reasons. Fall semester of 2020 I would be attending UGA. Oh boy - I was nervous, but a wise professor once told me you must embrace change or else you will always stay stagnant.
This past fall semester, I lived in Athens with some amazing friends. I love everything about Athens. The food, the people, the intertwinement of campus and downtown, even the confusing bus system because it gets me where I need to go. Understanding the ins and outs of the school is something that will only come with time, but the first step is deciding it is what you want to do. While Oxford and Ole Miss will always have a place in my heart - I have found my home in Athens.
It was crucial that I get in touch with my professors, because they are the ones that helped get me involved. I joined a few extracurriculars and before I knew it I was hanging out with people I was meeting from all over UGA.
My advice to a student wanting to transfer schools would be to just do it. Life is short - obviously give the school you are at a chance but if you still feel the need to transfer, why not? And to the parents reading this, transferring was hard but it was one of the best things that I could have done. However, I could have never done it without the support from my parents. All of those boredom calls my mom received in between my classes are really what got me through.