Senior year threw itself at me this fall with a fierce and fiery sense of responsibility attached. During this past semester, I found myself dealing with a lot; everything from turning in Beta Club hours to moving out of my parents' house.
I wrote an 18-page paper on an experiment I designed and executed myself, I was elected secretary of the Beta Club, I took 5 classes, and a multitude of other little things presented themselves to me along the way.
Among the biggest and arguably most important things I did during the first semester of my senior year was apply for college. I applied to three, and was fortunate enough to have three awesome schools to choose from when it was all said and done.
I applied to Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
When I was accepted at Wayne State, I was glad, but I immediately discounted it. I did this not because it isn't a great school, but simply because I haven't really had the drive to attend college out of state. Between the tuition and the distance, I just haven't felt that option was really for me. (Not even for Detroit!)
Lenoir Rhyne was the school that everyone expected me to go to, and with good reason. As a little girl, I always told everyone that LR was where I wanted to go. for a long time, that was true. However, when I approached the time to decide on a college for real, rather than the pretend ideals of a child, I couldn't make myself say yes to Lenoir Rhyne. It's an amazing school and I have a lot of ties and history with it. However, I found that to be just the problem. I want a fresh start, as a lot of college students do. I feel like for me, Lenoir Rhyne just doesn't fit the way I always thought it would.
These decisions led to my ultimate choice for my next four years of education, which is Western Carolina University. Western is nestled in the mountains with beautiful weather and an equally beautiful campus. It's a little over two hours away, which is close but not too close, and it has some really incredible opportunities for me. I visited the campus in November and I really loved the feel of it, which I think is actually really important! I will have the opportunity to do some of my favorite things, like rock climbing and whitewater rafting, which I am very excited for. Right now, my major is listed as Psychology, but that is subject to change as I'm still figuring everything out.
I just wanted to put it out there, finally, that I made my decision, and I'm thrilled to be a Western Carolina Catamount!
