Why transferring from SHU would have been a mistake

It was around this time in my freshman year when I came very close to submitting applications to trans­fer out of Seton Hall. I would have gone any­where, but I was pretty sure I wasn't staying here.

It was not that there weren't friendly people here; people who I went to the Caf with or hung out with on occasion, but the fact was that after many of my friends left at the beginning of the second semester, close friendships were al­ready formed and I found myself with more quasi-acquaintances.

So by the end of the year I was exhausted from the effort of put­ting on my best self every day to ensure I was an attractive per­sonality to potential friends, and by the end of the day I was too wrought to put true effort into my assignments. I thought it might be best if I left.

In some sort of truly ser­endipitous coincidence, I got the e-mail that offered me a copy-editing job at The Seton­ian a few days before the self-imposed date I had for decid­ing whether to transfer. The editorial board was a sort-of default family, a dysfunctional and sometimes grueling one, but a family nonetheless.

I am eternally grateful for being offered that position and for my editor at the time who encouraged me to apply. Without her, I never would have wound up as the digi­tal editor, or surrounded by other intelligent and interesting people who make up The Setonian's edi­torial board. I probably wouldn't have even been at Seton Hall.

I am also, grudgingly, accept­ing of the nights I spent miserable and alone. I wish they hadn't hap­pened, but they gave me some time to truly figure out what I wanted from my college experience, and who I wanted to be there.

When I did find close friends, (because, inevitably, I did,) I trea­sured them more than I probably otherwise would have. I made sure to live the full college experi­ence, getting involved as much as I could, working as hard as I could, taking advantage of as many op­portunities as I could and hav­ing as much fun as I could. I am looking forward to graduating, but I will always fondly remem­ber Seton Hall and The Setonian for helping to make me the strong resilient and happy person I am today.

Caitlin Carroll is a senior journal­ism major from Mastic Beach, N.Y. She can be reached at Caitlin.car­roll@student.shu.edu.