What I Learned From Transferring Colleges Across the Country: Syracuse to USC
By: Ashley McKean ‘24
On a sunny balmy day in early May 2020, I received my acceptance letter to the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, which resulted in me screaming and crying so intensely I dropped to the floor and couldn’t get any words out. Although these tears were the cause of pure euphoric gratitude over my admittance into the nation's leading communications school, amidst all the chaos of getting in, my mind couldn’t help but wander to the school that still held my heart- USC. Although I was beyond grateful and excited to be an Orange at Syracuse, I knew deep down that I would not be one for long. My intuition knew that I wouldn’t be able to settle; I wouldn’t settle for anything less than my wildest dreams, I never had and I never will.
Weeks prior came the expected rejection letter from USC. Though I was heartbroken, it was in no way a surprise as my application was just an absolute disaster. PSA don’t wait to write your Common App Essay until the day it’s due- ESPECIALLY IF IT'S YOUR DREAM SCHOOL. That goes for anything and everything that's of somewhat importance to you. I’m in awe of how much I’ve changed and grown mentally and emotionally in just 2 short years as I would now never mindlessly ever put myself through the agony of waiting until the last minute, nor would I jeopardize something so important to me. My success is a priority now.
Of course, my prophetic dreams and intuition were right as usual. In May 2021, exactly one year after I had been admitted to Syracuse University, I received my acceptance letter to the University of Southern California on a beautiful spring night. You’re probably thinking that I collapsed on the floor in a hysterical heap because I had been admitted to my dream school and would be moving to where I had wanted to live since I was about 8 years old. However, I was so in shock when I saw the “Congratulations” in my letter that I refused to believe it was real. So I just sat there expressionless staring at my screen all the while my mom was thinking I had been rejected because I wasn’t saying a word. None of it seemed real and oddly enough, as I write this after 2 semesters down, in my LA apartment down the street from USC, it still doesn’t feel real. Sometimes I’ll be casually sitting in class with someone like director Matt Reeves sitting a few feet away talking to me and I forget where I am and that I actually have the privilege to go here and I think to myself “OMG is this really my life? I actually go to USC? How in the world did this happen?”. Regardless of how surreal this has all been, my journey from Syracuse to USC hasn’t been easy, breezy, and perfect- but then again, if it was, I doubt I would have grown and blossomed the way that I immensely did. As my sophomore year is coming to a close, I have been reflecting on my college journey so far. I could go on and on for pages about what I have discovered and learned, but we both know if you're at USC that no one has time to read all that. Here are just a few things that I have learned along the way.
1. The Things That Scare You The Most Are Probably The Best Things For You:
When I say this I don’t mean walk through south central LA alone at night and I don’t mean eat something a year beyond its expiration date. What I mean is, that things that are far out of your comfort zone are usually the things that will help you grow the most. Whether you want to move across the world, talk to a certain person, or embark on a wild endeavor or impossible-seeming dream, I have found that when you take that leap and do the thing that terrifies you, again not in a dangerous way, the most amazing magical things happen. Sometimes, your dream life is right beyond your comfort zone, and the only way to reach that life is to step out of that comfort zone and take a risk.
2. Nothing is ever too out of reach:
From a young age, I have held this belief close to my heart and it has gotten me to where I am today because I stood by this belief so strongly. I have never been capable of settling for things in life, no matter how impossible they may seem. Take it from the girl who many thought wouldn’t even graduate high school at one point and whose guidance counselor looked at my list of colleges, rolled her eyes, and took a sharp intake of breath before basically saying I had no chance of getting into anywhere even remotely prestigious.
3. Living With People is Hard:
Many of us will have to learn this the hard way. When going to a new school, before you meet “your people” you will often have to live with people you just don’t mesh well with. It’s probably one of the most difficult parts of the college experience. I STRONGLY recommend setting down boundaries and some ground rules before committing to moving in with anyone. You don’t want to realize too late that you are stuck with someone that has no respect for your boundaries or how you feel. I can’t stress enough how important clear communication is when it comes to living with people.
4. If a Class is so painful that its affecting your mental health- don’t stay in it and suffer:
Like many things, I had to learn this the hard way. Please, for your own sanity, do not stay in a class that you know you cannot handle. There's always going to be classes you're not too fond of and sometimes we just have to deal with them and get them out of the way. But sometimes there are those classes that are just so wretched and difficult- if a class brings you to tears and is mentally draining you and negatively affecting your mental health- please drop it- trust me. Talk with your academic counselors about other course options because you do not deserve to suffer because of a class- you have enough on you as it is. Nothing is worth your health.
5. Put Yourself Out There:
As much as attending USC gives us the idea that we are all main characters in this movie of life, and maybe we are to the rest of the world but when all 44,000 of us are on campus and think we are main characters, I’m sorry to say no one really stands out, we all just appear as extras to one another. Sometimes we think people and opportunities are just going to walk right up to us and hand us everything that we are looking for. Unfortunately, this usually isn’t how it works, so if you want to make those connections and friendships, you are going to have to literally take a deep breath and talk to people and genuinely put effort into getting to know them.
6. Accept that college may not be great at first:
Just like everyone peaks at their own time, the highs and lows of your experiences come at different times as well. While it may seem like some are having the time of their lives at the very start of college, it will be very difficult for some of us and that's okay because we are all adjusting to our brand new lives. Our new lives are all playing out differently because our stories are all very different.
7. Surround yourself with things and people you love and that bring you happiness:
There are certain books, songs, movies, and especially people, that I do not know how I would survive without. In this huge transformative period in your life, find things that bring you pure happiness and make time each day to indulge in those things. It's nice to have a safe escape at the end of the day and for me that's books. I always have to be reading some kind of fiction book, my favorite is Twilight- it's literally my safe haven from life. Also finding a podcast that you genuinely love to listen to can be so comforting when you feel like being alone but at the same time don’t want to be alone with your thoughts. Take the time to spend time or talk with friends and family that bring you peace and happiness. Find little spots on or off-campus that bring you sanctuary. I also highly recommend meditation- it's life-changing and essential to our crazy lives.
8. Give School a Chance:
In all honesty, there was a period early on when I wanted to leave USC. It was short-lived but it was definitely real and I really wanted to give in and just take the easier, more comfortable path and go home. That’s what I did my freshman year at Syracuse. I pretty much decided almost immediately that I wouldn’t be staying for long. Had there been no COVID-19 imprisoning me in my 103-degree dorm room with no air conditioning, (no I’m no kidding it was actually that temperature in the room one day,) and impeding me from going out and meeting people, and the fact that 80% of the time my classes were virtual, I honestly feel like I may have come to love Syracuse and I would have stayed until graduation. Regardless of using COVID as an excuse, I didn’t give Syracuse the chance it deserved. I made up my mind so early on and after 10 days on campus, I was back home and did the rest of my freshman year virtually. But had I stuck out the year or even the semester at Syracuse, maybe I would have ended up falling in love with it the way almost everyone who goes there does. Had I left USC when things weren’t perfect, I wouldn’t have come to fall in love with living in LA and attending USC and fully appreciating the privilege I have to live the life that I live. So always always always give things a chance for greatness.
