This I Believe … in Finding your Happy
Picture this: senior year of high school, college admission letters are being released, everyone has their dream school in mind. Sounds familiar, right? It’s something that everyone here at Penn State has been through. Throughout my life, I have been an avid Purdue fan. I consistently cheered for Purdue sports, wore the attire, and of course, applied there during my senior year.
“Just tour Penn State,” my dad begged. To make him happy, I did. And like so many other people, I fell in love. Now I had one of the hardest decisions of my life; Purdue or Penn State? There were so many factors that played into this decision, especially whether I would be accepted into each university. By chance, I heard a decision from both schools on the same day: Yes. Now it was time to make one of the biggest decisions of my life. My parents had always taught me to follow my dreams, so I did just that.
Fast forward a few months, a warm, rainy August day, stepping foot into my dorm room at Purdue University. I was so excited; new friends, a new state, and a new experience. Little did I know that I would only be spending a semester there.
The first few weeks were a whirlwind; I rushed a sorority, I was making friends, studying in the library, everything from the normal freshman experience. After about a month or so, the homesickness set in, and it was almost unbearable. I missed home so bad. It wasn’t even that I was away from home, I was just so far that coming home was too much of a production. I simply was longing for the happiness that I knew lived inside of me.
I remember the day exactly- it was a Saturday morning when I opened my laptop, went online and noticed that I had been accepted, again, to Penn State. I would transfer there in the spring.
First semester of anyone’s freshman year is filled with highs and lows, and people that make all of it worth it. Spending a semester so far away from home, I was forced to meet so many amazing people that I am forever thankful for. That made the conclusion of my time at Purdue University very difficult- saying goodbye to people that I knew I would probably never see again.
Purdue taught me so much more than what was taught in the classroom. Through the ups and the downs, the number one thing I learned was that happiness is what truly matters. It doesn’t matter what people think of you, it doesn’t matter if you’re leaving your roommate, and it doesn’t matter if you think you’re letting someone down. There is nothing more important to an the wellbeing and personal success of an individual than being happy, and Happy Valley brought me just that.