Our daughter is a Sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. But her college journey did not begin there. She chose Ole Miss for her freshman year and then decided to transfer. Ever since posting about this, I have had an influx of questions. I asked Riley if she would be up for an informal Q & A and she enthusiastically said yes.
THE JOURNEY
So many of you have seniors who are in the throes of choosing their next steps. As college decisions roll in, there are so many things to consider. Of course college isn’t for everyone but for those embarking on that 4 year journey, it can be an overwhelming time.
BEAUTIFUL CHAPTERS
We have always told the kids that we do what’s best at the time. And pivots and changes are a beautiful part of life.
I have such fond memories setting up this room for Riley and her roommate. Although I think I can speak for both her roommate’s mom and myself when I say I will never touch contact paper again. We covered their vanities and shelving with it and it literally took hours. Other than that, this move in was a joy and the girls had a great year in this room. This is still my favorite blue and white comforter.
A NEW CHAPTER
I am happy to report that Riley is loving second semester and already feels more at home. She is grateful she took the leap and has risen to the challenge.
But this huge life change took some serious self reflection and digging deep. There have been numerous challenges and she has met each one with such grace.
If you have a son or daughter contemplating a transfer or curious about the transfer process, please ask. I will return with a post with answers from both Riley and myself. Always happy to help and feel like this is a topic very few people open up about. Feel free to leave your question in the comments or email me.
Previous Post: Honest Conversation about College (or maybe not college).
Thanks for bringing this up. My kids are just beginning the college journey. How did she know her first college wasn’t working for her? What made her choose her new school?
Ole Miss and Notre Dame seem so different. I’m curious what the transfer process was like since Notre Dame is pretty competitive. I have a senior that I don’t think is sold on a particular school yet. It’s nice to tell her that if her choice doesn’t work out she can pivot. 😊
I have a friend in the same situation with her daughter wanting to transfer too. However, she is finding many college application deadlines have already closed. It seems like one would have to know rather soon after she started the first semester she wanted to transfer.
Did your daughter run into this situation? Any suggestions from your experience?
Did Riley know what she wanted to major in prior to selecting Ole Miss? If not, did her first year at Ole Miss help her figure that out and then came the question, is there a better program at a different school? I have a senior this year who is unsure of what she wants to study, therefore making college selection more difficult. I’d like to reassure her that it’s okay to pivot at anytime.
What were Riley’s top reasons for selecting Ole Miss and what made her realize it wasn’t the right fit? Did all of her units transfer over to ND without her needing to take additional units and coursework? If so, how did you make that seamless transition? Adding more debt and more classes can be a hard pill to swallow. Thank you both for your transparency and for sharing! I think this happens a lot more than people actually share. I love the idea of embracing the pivot!