Jeremy Wade
The stigma attached to transferring schools doesn’t make sense. As a student who recently transferred from one of the most sought-after schools in the state to a local school in my area, the judgment from family, friends and peers has been intense.
My reasons for transferring ultimately come down to my former school just not fitting who I am as a person. Students at that school pride themselves on test scores and GPAs. I enjoy academics, but GPAs and test scores don’t determine my worth, and they box people into what they should strive for and who they will end up being. A teacher once told me, “If you aren’t striving to graduate college with at least a master’s or to end up as a doctor, lawyer or politician, then this school isn’t for you.”
When I concluded that this wasn’t the school for me, many people told me, “You’re making a mistake,” or “You’ll regret leaving.” I felt the pressure of letting down people I cared about. I felt like I had to stay because others didn’t have the opportunity I had.
When I finally did leave, I felt a huge burden being lifted off my shoulders, but I was still hesitant to attend my neighborhood school because, to be frank, it was seen as a downgrade from the school I was leaving.
My thoughts about this school have changed. The talk about fights and the lack of intelligence from students couldn’t be further than the truth. This school has issues like any other school has, but it has an element of being family before anything else.
And transferring to this school has allowed new opportunities for me. Since I’m not subjected to nonstop work anymore, I’m able to have a life outside of school – a social life that I wouldn’t be able to have if I still attended my previous school. I can focus on passions I have like music or cars without worrying about piles of homework I must finish by midnight.
I’m grateful for the new possibilities and opportunities that came with this transfer. I made the right decision.
