Dear ladies and gentlemen, it is essential to realize when some things need to change! The blog topic chosen for today was not only an epiphany that I don’t belong somewhere because I am meant to be somewhere else, but it was also a realization that HELLOOOOOO… it is time to stop daydreaming. JUNIOR year(2017-2018) was THE most crucial year as a business student. But, let us start from the beginning, shall we?

Hcc honors College

In May 2017, I completed my two-year degree from Houston Community College- Honors Program. I don’t want to get into all the details of college, such as how to apply and what a typical day consists of because such a topic deserves its own blog post. BUT, I will say that I am proud of myself, and I know my mom is too. So, I graduated at the age of 18… YAY!! Two years done, two more to go. It was such a simple concept to understand until I found myself in the middle of nowhere.

I think it was hard to accept the sudden change in schools because the school I attended to complete my junior year was not my first choice. I wanted to go to Baylor. I had a plan, and I was determined to have it executed. My roommates were chosen. Everyone had their own bathroom and room. The colors were selected for the common area, and we had a group chat. You know it is serious when you have a group chat, right?

So, what happened? Realism kicked in.

Let me fast forward to July 2017 when I visited Grinnell College. The journey to Grinnell was a day trip, but the make-up of the city seemed like it was intentional for the most exciting places to be located in other neighboring cities. Basically, anywhere but Grinnell. No CAP!

Am I supposed to dance to Reggaeton at a movie theater or execute my wholesale shopping at Wal-mart?Where are the health museums and art exhibits?

So, my opinion was remotely clear, but I still made a pros and cons list. I considered my educational and social needs, the distance away from my mom, and how much familiarity I was prepared to give up. Despite some brownie points that Grinnell won, I chose Baylor, but my bags and the $10 in my wallet were unpacked at Grinnell.

 For those who are unaware, higher education is expensive. I do believe you should not choose a college solely based on which school gives the most scholarships. But how much money schools are prepared to offer you, should help you narrow down your list and Grinnell beat Baylor.When I was offered the opportunity to have the majority of my tuition and board covered, my mom thought it would be better to LEAN towards Grinnell. I ultimately made the decision after some serious thinking. I said to myself “I want to go to Baylor, but due to circumstances such as it’s already July and school starts next month and I need to choose a school ASAP and I do not want to hustle even harder than I am already and let me give Iowa a shot because change is sometimes good… Grinnell it is!” 

  Even though, as an only child, the process of paying for undergrad will only be done once, it’s still an expense that only increases over the years.  Some say it is a scam. Well, scam or no scam, I am just glad the school had the decency to give me a single room .So, let us gather the facts for clarification purposes, shall we?

An Honors graduate from Houston received acceptance to a small, prestigious, Liberal Arts school in the Midwest to embark a journey in a remote location where covering her educational expenses (the majority of them) was the school’s top priority. 

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I was determined to make the best out of the situation.Mindset is important. Remember that only child. I had no clue what to expect; however, does anyone really have a clue on how life is going to go? 

I had freedom, but at what expense?

Grinnell College

In my next blog post,I will discuss why this particular college was not the best fit for me. Do I think I needed to go to Grinnell College to discover that it was not the right place to continue my studies? Absolutely. My day trip did not include some of the memories formed in my junior year. I went through some disheartening situations, but the kind of experiences I had, my pros list could not have possibly known about. Therefore, I say yes. An only child can go away,even as far as Iowa, but the vibe change regarding the environment and how to interpret certain signals are factors to consider when making the big move.

                                                                                                             P.S. The song associated with this post is Try by Colbie Caillat.