I Chose the Same College as My Sibling. What Will Happen Now?

After deciding to transfer to University of the Cumberlands, I realized I’d be attending the same college my older sister recently graduated from. How great is that?! Well, at least, that was my initial thought. It turns out that there are pros and cons to the scenario. Some aspects were super positive, while others had downsides. Let’s get into what I experienced during my first semester attending the same college as my sister.

Pros

• You have your own personal tour guide: She spent four years exploring campus herself, so I always knew who to call on if I wasn’t familiar with where a building was or if I needed to know where a professor’s office was. 
• Easily navigating problems: Cumberlands has a large amount of staff to help students succeed. But it can be hard to know exactly who to turn to. My sister would let me know which office to go to for certain problems, which was a nice shortcut without having to research it all myself.
• Name recognition: A lot of people were eager to meet and get to know me because they knew and loved my sister. 
• Recommendations: She told me stories about her favorite hangout spots on campus that she and her friends made fun memories at.
• Career Guidance: Work study opportunities are a chance to earn money while getting real-world professional experience. She helped me find a work study that fit my interests. 
• Connections: My sister made many connections during her time here that she then shared with me. 
• An alumni with advice: She’s great to go to for advice with college-related problems!

Cons

• Over reliance: It became too easy to rely on her every time I had a problem. 
• Too much attention: I mentioned that many people wanted to get to know me because they knew my sister. This was good and bad. It was nice meeting people, but I was new and shy, so I was really thrown out of my comfort zone pretty early on.
• Different interests and preferences: My sister’s recommendations were helpful, but they didn’t always work out because we are two very different people. For example, her favorite hangout spots didn’t end up being my favorite spots.
• Comparison can be good until it’s not: I absolutely idolize all my sisters, including the one I’ve been speaking of. I put my sister on this high pedestal. But, in the back of my mind, I knew that I am my own person and I deserve to be on the pedestal too, as myself. I knew that I wanted to use my own name to craft my own reputation. Let’s just say the lines blurred. 

In Conclusion

I love my sister with all my heart, and having her here with me is great. But, I initially tried too hard to have the exact same experience and life my sister had in college. It didn’t work out too well because I’m not my sister. Though she still helps me in many ways, she has encouraged me to venture out and truly make my Cumberlands’ experience my own. I’m so glad she did! My confidence in my own capabilities has increased, and my new perspective has brought so many cool things and people into my life. Recently, I have focused on discovering solutions to problems on my own and venturing out myself to make my own friends. Learning and practicing independence is crucial in college, but so is having a good support system. I’m so thankful to my sister for helping me grow in the ways that she did and for the people she introduced me to (I still hang out with them every now and then, and I have fun!) You know what I think? After all of this, if you are still thinking of going to the same school as an older sibling, go for it! Just remember to stay true to yourself and to be your own person, of course.