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As a high school senior, it is a guarantee that you will be asked the question, “So, where are you going to college?” This question will come from anyone and everyone. Obviously, for me the answer was the University of Louisville. However, I didn’t think I would ever hear those words coming out of my mouth. In my mind, I didn’t see U of L at the level of my dream schools. My mind was convinced I had to get away from Kentucky if I was going to be challenged by college, I had to go out of state to really experience what I needed to be successful. This is a common idea in Kentucky, referred to as the Brain Drain. After committing to the University of Louisville, I would tell people my decision and often received a confused face. I still see that face to this day when I see some people on campus I knew in high school. Soon after usually comes a, “I thought you would go somewhere… else.” A year ago, I would have said the exact same thing.
But now, those words break my heart. I could not imagine going to college anywhere else. I was so afraid that I was going to be bored with U of L. After all, I lived here for the past 18 years. I was afraid the campus would feel just like home. I am only ten minutes away but it is truly a whole new world. The university campus is a small one, but it doesn’t feel that way. It is a new place and I have met so many new people. I have formed new friendships and made new memories. Another of my fears was only seeing and hanging out with people I knew from high school, and while there is some of that, my best friends thus far and most of the people in my classes are not even from Louisville. Academic rigor was something I thought U of L, a state school, could not possess. However, I have quickly discovered I could not be more wrong. My classes are challenging and I could not imagine learning anywhere else. I love my city and my university even more than when I made my decision. So, yes. I decided to attend the incredible institution that is the University of Louisville and I love every minute of it.