My College Journey and Experience

College is a big step for anyone. A new beginning, a new journey. From my four years, I know I have come a long way. I am proud of the challenges I faced, the friends I gained, and the education I received. This is my college journey and experience.

It seemed like everyone had their “dream” college. Not me. I had no clue where I wanted to go or what I even wanted to do. There was a lot of pressure to figure it out as quickly as possible. It seemed like everyone was moving far away from home, and that’s what I originally wanted. I grew up in the Kennesaw, GA area where I went to Kennesaw Mountain High School. In Georgia, there is the Hope Scholarship that helps pay for college, so I knew I wanted to stay in the state of Georgia for college. However, I did not know which college to attend.

It seemed like The University of Georgia (UGA) was the talk of the town, so I started to look into that school. Some other schools I was looking into were Georgia Southern and Georgia State. I had a strong opinion that I did not want to attend Kennesaw State University because it was too close to home. Once I had decided I was going to be a business major, I began touring some schools.

One day there was a UGA “meet and greet” at a church and I thought it would be a good idea to attend. Immediately, when I sat in the auditorium I felt out of place. Have you ever been somewhere and you feel like you do not belong? Well, I had a very strong vibe that maybe this was not the school for me, and I was right. Later, I toured Georgia State and did not like being close to the city. Now, I had two schools crossed off my list. My last two options were Georgia Southern or Kennesaw State. Initially, I gravitated towards Georgia Southern because it was far away from home. However, once I learned that I could not afford the cost of room and board for that school, it seemed like Kennesaw State was the only option left.

I was dreading the summer orientation at Kennesaw State. I was not excited at all. To my surprise, I ended up loving the school more than I could imagine. I felt like I could be my authentic self on this campus. Did I mention the food was amazing? I never imagined that four years later, I would have the best college experience. Sometimes you can’t do what everyone else is doing. Going to Kennesaw State University shaped me to be the person I am today, and for that, I am grateful.