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Feb 26, 2026Myles Goodrich1 min read

Moving to LSU without ever visiting Louisiana

I moved to Baton Rouge without ever stepping foot in Louisiana. No friends, no plan B, and a rough academic start behind me.

JourneyGrowthResilienceLSUPersonal

Starting over

The first time I came to Louisiana was two weeks before the semester started.

I came to look at housing in person.

That was it.

I had never visited the state before.
No friends waiting.
No comfort zone.

Just a decision.


The rough beginning

Before LSU, I tried community college online.

It didn’t work for me.

I thought I had dropped my classes before the deadline, but there was a miscommunication with my counselor.

My first college grades were:

  • F
  • D
  • A

Not exactly the start you plan for.

I took the next semester off.

That was the reset.


The rebuild

I returned to community college — this time in person.

That changed everything.

I earned a 3.7 GPA.

But more importantly, I built structure.

At that point, I was jealous of my friends already at four-year universities.

So I did something aggressive:

15 credits fall
15 credits winter
15 credits spring
15 credits summer

60 credit hours in one year.

No excuses. Just execution.

That’s how I earned my transfer to LSU.


LSU performance

My first semester at LSU: 3.7 GPA — Dean’s List.

Most recent semester: 3.9 GPA — three A+ grades and one B-.

That arc means more to me than the numbers themselves.

It represents discipline earned, not given.


What moving taught me

Moving to Baton Rouge forced growth.

No built-in circle.
No reputation.
No shortcuts.

It forced me to build confidence the same way I built grades: through consistency.


Key takeaway

Starting fresh isn’t scary.

Wasting the opportunity is.

I chose not to waste it.

— Myles

Discipline compounds.

Structure compounds.