By: KAILEE VANCE – University of Alabama
Dear seniors who are struggling with a decision,
I’m sure you’ve heard before that not everything works out the way you would like it to, and the same applies for college. Even though your plan might not be perfect right now, you will figure it out.
Sometimes it takes a “no” for you to realize the biggest “yes” you’ve ever needed. Mine came in the form of my “second” choice school.
From the moment I thought of the possibility of college, I had my heart set on packing my bags and ending up in Lexington, Kentucky, home of the University of Kentucky. I was going to wear blue and white and be a wildcat.
Suddenly, my plans began to change.
I recieved a letter in the mail one day that contained a scholarship to the University of Alabama. My parents said that they think attending Alabama would be a better option because it would “Save a ton of money.”
Now, I was not pressured into attending the University of Alabama, nor was the choice anyone else’s but mine, but it wasn’t necessarily my first. Up until I arrived on campus this was my “second” option. In my mind, Kentucky would always be better than Bama and Bama would never live up to it.
This was until I met the people that I now call my best friends. Until I sat in a class and met the most intelligent professors. Until I sat on the quad and basked in the October sun. Until I cheered on the tide on a Saturday afternoon.
After all of this, my thoughts began to change to – “I could never see myself being anywhere else.”
I find myself thinking that on a daily basis at this point in my second semester and about the smallest things now. And even though it took me longer than most to completely fall in love with this place, I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. I made this choice on a limb not really knowing if I would be happy.
Sometimes what we think is best for us, doesn’t always turn out to be.
So, if you are struggling with the decision of where to attend college, I am not going to tell you not to attend your dream school. I am just telling you that there are more dreams than just one. If you don’t get your first dream school, you will undoubtedly find a second.