Taiyler Schrank | Staff Writer

At the beginning of my senior year of high school, I didn’t really think all that much of where I wanted to go to college. That being said, my first college visit I fell in love. I refused to go on any other college visits besides the ones I was forced to go on because I already had my mind set. I ended up going to Des Moines Area Community College.

Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) was a nice school, but it wasn’t the school for me. I fell in love with this school for all the wrong reasons, and it didn’t take me long to figure that out. This school had apartment living style, which meant I had my own room, bathroom, shared kitchen, and shared living room with three other roommates. I had to cook my own food which seemed like fun, but was also extremely expensive for someone in college full time with no job. I tried to do work study, but work study at a community college is hard to get into.

Apartment living also made it hard to meet new people because you were always so secluded in your own apartment, and couldn’t just go knock on some random’s door like you can here at the dorms. Graduating from a class of twenty-six, I thought the class size would be perfect, but it was mostly older people going back to school. That being said, it was hard to even meet people to hang out with in class. Midway through the semester I began to miss playing basketball, and realized I wasn’t happy at DMACC. I asked my parents if I could transfer, and they were all for it, especially since I was deciding to play basketball again. I then decided to transfer to College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska.

I chose College of Saint Mary (CSM) because my dad was the assistant basketball coach there, so it would be easy for me to transition to a new school and begin to play the sport I loved again. The different thing about CSM is that it is an all-girls school. I didn’t think this would really bother me because I decided at that time in my life I didn’t need to have a relationship. It was really weird not seeing any guys on campus, and when you did go out and see one you’d be like, “Wow they do still exist.”

I was just really happy to be playing basketball again, but I started to get very homesick once basketball was over. I went home every weekend I could, and stayed home as long as I possibly could. It kind of scared me to think I would be at an all-girls school for three years straight. Transferring there wasn’t very hard because it is a pretty small school, and everyone knows everyone. I also belonged to a team, so before the second semester even started I already had two weeks to get to know my team. The professors there are very personable, and will ask you what’s going on if you’re not in class. They know you by name, and will go out of their way to greet you if they see you on campus. College of Saint Mary was a very nice school, but I needed to be closer to home and at a mixed gender school. I then asked my parents if I could transfer to back home to BVU.

I never imagined I’d go to school at Buena Vista University, simply because I literally live 20 minutes away. In high school I always laughed when my parents said I should go on a visit here because it freaked me out that they could pop into my dorm room whenever they wanted. They were so happy when I brought up the idea of me transferring here. I honestly regret ever turning my nose up to this school. I feel like I wasted my first year of college on schools that are good, but not for me. I haven’t even gone home since moving here, and have maybe seen my parents a combined total of two times. It doesn’t even feel like I’m so close to home because I have no desire to leave campus.

Before I even started school here I was getting Facebook requests and follows from people who already go here. I just feel like I was so welcomed before I even started going here. It helps that I have a cousin who already goes here, but I’ve never been to a college that is so welcoming. Even just applying at the registrar’s office was so helpful. I’ve met so many people in my time here already. I really enjoy all of my professors and how they teach. I’m playing basketball here, and people weren’t kidding when they say your team is like family. We haven’t even done a lot of workouts and I can already tell this team is going to have a lot of chemistry. They are a fun group of girls to play with. Moving in was by far the best move in experience I have had. It took me so many hours to pack my car up, and probably two minutes to unpack it all.

There is always something to do on campus, and I definitely scored with my roommate. We keep each other entertained at all times, and I can honestly say I didn’t have roommates like that at my last two schools. I guess all I can say is that the third school is the charm because I can’t imagine going anywhere else but Buena Vista University. I already feel like these next three years are going to go by way too fast. I finally feel like I am at home.

Photo by Stephanie Steiner