This was it. I sent in my deposit and shut my computer. Behind the screen my smile ran from one ear to the other. I danced around my kitchen, radiating with excitement. I had chosen my home for the next four years. This was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Quinnipiac University, here I come!!!!

Three days after my visit I made my commitment choice. The weeks following and leading up to this very moment have consisted of dorm room shopping and a thrilling roommate search. I spend countless moments checking Facebook to see the faces I will be calling “family” in the next phase of my life. Every smile is as beautiful and exciting as the next. I’m not sure who my roommate will be yet, but I do know we’ll have this in common: the love for such a beautiful school and the eagerness to get to know each other!

For now, I will continue to scroll through the smiles on Facebook and “pin” dorm room decor on my Pinterest page. If there is only one piece of advice I could give to other students searching for the right school, it’s to find your happy place. If you are smiling on the campus, grinning when you tell others you’ve been accepted, or get a warm feeling knowing you’ll be safe and happy somewhere you feel comfortable calling home, then that is where you should choose to attend. As for me, I danced across the Quinnipiac quad all the way to my car…that’s how I knew.

Quinnipiac is the name of the path I have chosen, and I wish the best of luck to all of you choosing which path you’ll take. Put yourself out there, experience new culture, and find love in the most amazing friendships. Trust that the stress leading up to this moment is worth the fight. Everyone has a place in this world: find where you fit and make it extraordinary.