During the holidays, I found myself hiding from going to any parties or get-togethers with my high school friends.

A majority of my classmates went off to D-1 schools and got the chance to have the college experience of having roommates, meeting new people and being in a new city. I, on the other-hand, had to save my money and go to the local community college.

Of the friends that I still keep in touch with, some know what I have been up to while others do not. With that unknown comes the question that I hate answering, “So, what have you been up to?”

I hesitate, swallow my shame and explain that I attend Georgia Highlands College. Though once these words slip off my tongue, the judgment begins, and I’m asked why.

I try to explain my plan for the future, but in most cases I never get to finish. So I avoided the awkward parties where I would see all my happy friends and hear about their crazy stories about that one time in their dorms.

Towards the end of my break, I was so worn out from working that all I wanted to do was see my friends for New Years. At this point, I wasn’t so concerned with all the questions that follow “hello.” As I began to talk and exchange the semester’s gossip, the big question came up from one of my friends.

I answered that I go to GHC and that after 30 credit hours I am transferring to possibly Georgia State University.

Their intrigued faces convinced me to tell them my whole plan I have for the next few years.

As I finished one of my friends says, “Wow, you have it all figured out! I’m jealous that you know what you want to do in life.” I was shocked by how much my friends envied my plan and how much I was wrong about what people thought about transfer students.

I didn’t feel like I was missing out on the true college experience anymore. I knew that I’d get my chance to show everyone that has ever judged me that I can make it to a big league school too.

It’s only one year away till I can finally start my true college life, and all I have to do is wait.