I have never written a blog before, so I figured I would take a whack at it. Ok here it goes, my name is Brittany and I am a transfer student at The College at Brockport. I transferred here in the Fall of 2008 from Monroe Community College. Let's go back even farther to the middle of my senior year when I was forced to get over senioritis and think about the next step in my life. I can be characterized as kind of a homebody. I lived out in the country in a small town setting. Literally, you know everybody. I really didn't want to move far away or close to a city. Rochester is a big city to me, scary I know..but, my boyfriend was attending Brockport and I would be close to him. That is the part that really persuaded me to move to Rochester. So I got into the townhomes at MCC and began my freshman year.
I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my life, so I started out as a Liberal Arts major. I had some experience with children in the past, so I thought I would take a few education courses. I ended up really enjoying the education program and quickly switched my major to Childhood Ed. College hit me hard, it was so unlike the environment I was used to. I tended to shelter myself in my dorm room or I would spend nights up in Brockport with my boyfriend. At times I felt like I didn't fit in and life seemed tough. Eventually I opened up and started to hang out with my roommates a little more. I grew really close to the one girl and we still remain great friends even to this day. At the end of my freshman year, I accepted an invitation to join Phi Theta Kappa (a National Honor Society at 2 year institutions). My outlook was good at this point. I was doing well in school, I was adjusting more and my relationship with my boyfriend was the best it had ever been. My Sophomore year at MCC I landed a job as a resident assistant in the brand new townhomes that were just built. I met a lot of great people and had opportunities to network. I ended up graduating with Honors and received my Childhood Education degree.
I was certain that I wanted to transfer to Brockport. I applied and got accepted right away. I was given an offer to be in the Honors Program. After talking to some faculty and learning a little more about this intimidating program, I accepted. Although I had a degree in childhood ed., I wanted to take a different route at Brockport. At the end of my Sophomore year at MCC, I took a child psych class that really captured my interest. Psychology was something I always was fascinated by, so I declared psychology as my major. I was now looking into going into the counseling field. To accompany this major, I picked up a communication minor as well. I thought these 2 programs would go hand in hand quite well.
My boyfriend and I found an apartment near campus and began living up in Brockport at the end of summer. I knew there was no way I could afford all the expenses, so right away I began looking for jobs. The first job I applied to, I got an interview. The position was an office assistant job in the Career Services Department. I thought this seemed like something I would be interested in. I was a psychology major and was interested in the counseling field at the time. I interviewed and soon after received a phone call that I had been selected for the job. Now here I am working at Career Services and learning even more about the campus and a little more about myself.
Career Services is a great place to work. Being in an environment where I am constantly hearing about resumes, internships and jobs..it can really be an eye opener. I like the fact that I am always aware of the upcoming events on campus and that I have the opportunity to be involved with these events, whether its advertising for them or working them. It is an asset to have a great group of resources for your future right in the workplace.
Currently, I am in the Spring semester of my junior year. I am looking ahead to graduate school. I think I want to go back into the education field, therefore, I am looking for colleges that do teachers cert. along with getting a Masters in Education. My boyfriend will be graduating with his Masters degree at the end of this semester and then will be looking to get his doctorate degree possibly somewhere out of state. Looks like there may be some traveling in my future!
Some advice I have for transfers is don't panic if you don't know what you want to do or where you want to go after school. I know people who are into their 30s and are just beginning their profession. Also, don't be intimidated by the transferring process. The counselors at my MCC really helped me stay focus and on track when it came to transferring. Get to know your counseling department and your counselors, they are a huge asset! There were times when I was visiting the counseling department 2-3 times a month just to make sure I had everything set. If you are worried about finances, look for a job on campus and check out scholarships that are being offered. Get familiar with the campus and its policies, it could be quite different from your previous school. Most of all, don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and be involved on campus. Whether it is extra-curricular activities, a job, peer mentoring...any of these things look great on a resume!
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