As Michigan State University’s class of 2026 walks the stage this weekend, countless emotions are certain to follow.

Of all the ways to describe these feelings, bittersweet may be the most fitting. Our friends will no longer be separated by a few miles or even a single dorm wall. The endless days and nights of fun will soon come to an end. At the same time, it offers a chance to settle into more stable routines and escape the stress of constant assignments. Still, it leaves us wondering where all the time went.

That question hits particularly hard for transfer students who were not here for the traditional four years. The same may resonate with students who were undecided, changed majors or programs and only recently figured out what they were doing.

No matter how accomplished we feel, it is hard not to wonder what we missed out on and what we arrived late to. Calling a place home for four years and then leaving is one thing, but for those of us who transferred or were undecided, it can feel like we just found our place and it is already time to say goodbye.

I speak for many when I say I felt incredibly lost here at first. It is hard not to on an eight-mile-long campus with 50,000 students who already seem to have established majors, clubs, jobs and friend groups.

After a comically bad high school experience, I had little hope for college or for the future.

Following graduation, I was not only unemployed but also not enrolled in college. My dad had to apply to several local colleges for me and basically told me, “These are the schools you got into. Pick one, try to get on the soccer team and get a degree in journalism.” None of it seemed particularly enticing, but I did not have any better ideas, so I chose one. When it came to picking a major, I simply did not, and I was placed into a random assortment of classes: algebra, religious studies, medieval history and silent film.

By the first day, I thought I had decided my fate. I called my best friend from the hallway floor and, through tears and devastation, told her, “I’m not graduating from this school.” That was after one class, the medieval history one to be exact.

I applied to Michigan State that spring. All that was left was getting accepted and enrolling in classes. For those who have not done it, the transfer process is one I would not wish on my worst enemy. Getting into classes and finding an affordable place to live was unbelievably frustrating; finals week and even the worse week before finals do not compare.

I called one apartment so many times that they began hanging up when they heard my voice. I eventually found an open spot at Chandler Crossing, where I lived with some memorable roommates, including one extremely loud Twitch streamer who gamed into all hours of the night and another who stole my mattress topper.