Choosing your next step

Aristotle once said that, “For what is the best choice, for each individual, is the highest it is possible for him to achieve.”

If you’re wondering what the best school is for you in your next step as a transfer student, know that I was in your shoes just a few months ago.

Chances are, a student such as yourself is possible of achieving great things, and I would like to tell my story as a way to help you find your next step.

Like many high school graduates, I wasn’t sure what the best next step was for me. I couldn’t stand the thought of spending so much time and money at a university when I still wasn’t sure where, or what, I wanted to be.

So, I chose to attend West Virginia Northern Community College. There, I was able to get my general education courses completed, maintain my current job, and get a taste of college life while having the comfort of being home. 

After two years of community college, I was ready to take on undergraduate study at a four-year school. Because of my affiliation with Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for two-year college students, I was offered a generous scholarship from West Virginia Wesleyan College. West Virginia Wesleyan was unique in the level of importance that it placed on transfer students, and the significant scholarships offered solely to potential transfer students.

After my visit to the school, I decided this was where I wanted to be.

I had successfully made the transition from a community college to a four-year institution, but I was very nervous going into school as a junior. I felt like a stranger, the new kid. And unlike incoming freshman, I didn’t get to have special orientations to help me learn the campus and get to know other students in my class.

I realized I needed to build the relationships and education in half the time. I joined clubs and groups and found my place on campus. After one semester, I was offered the opportunity to join two honorary fraternities, making me feel very important and special, and allowing me to make more friends through fraternity activities.

All of my credits transferred, and I’m well on my way to finishing my program and applying for a graduate degree. Also, with my business degree program, I have the opportunity to get a head start on a graduate degree, and I’ve already got a great internship set up that will help get my career going after I complete my graduate degree.

There are so many ways to go about transferring. My story is just one of the possibilities. A community college is an excellent way to get your feet wet. And transferring to an institution that is perfect for you can happen—it did for me. You just have to allow yourself to achieve your highest, and there you will find the best choice for you.

Miranda Stokes is a junior at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she’s majoring in theater arts administration/musical theater.