Advice Needed

Transfer Students
1

I’m currently a freshman at Florida State University and am looking for advice. My first semester went fairly well (4.0) considering the hurricane, greek suspension and Jimbo leaving. However, I don’t know if FSU is the best fit for me and this is why…

  1. I’m an honors student but don’t feel like I am being challenged by fellow honors students or the rest of the student body. I went to a competitive high school and thrived off of not being the smartest (I do not mean this in a cocky way)
  2. I like to go out on weekends, but the partying is excessive, sometimes overbearing
  3. I am an Exercise Physiology major and there are lots of schools that have better programs than FSUs
  4. “C’s get degrees” mentality is extremely prevalent
  5. I plan on attending medical school, and I know a lot of it is what you do not where you go, but where you go has to play some part

I have liked my time at FSU and made good friends and joined various clubs, but I feel like there is more. In no way am I unhappy, which is why I need advice. Also, I’m an OOS student, but have a scholarship, which makes FSU extremely affordable. Should I apply to transfer or not? and is this a normal feeling?

If I decided to transfer these are some of the options I am considering…
University of Southern California
Wake Forest University
Northwestern University
University of Texas - Austin

Sorry this post is a little scatterbrained, but any comments would be helpful. Thanks!

2

in my opinion, if you’re not unhappy, i don’t think you should transfer because…

  1. you have a scholarship
  2. transfer aid is often lousy
  3. it's only been your first semester, so the courses will seem easy. once you get going, things are going to get a bit tougher, and i think you'll feel more challenged.

however, i, of course, am not in your position, and if you feel the need to transfer, you should go for it. i only recommend someone to transfer if he/she is undeniably suffering (mentally, physically, etc.), failing, or has found a better program and doesn’t need financial aid.

3

“I plan on attending medical school,”

You should attend a university where you can maintain a high GPA, and where you are not going to run up debt for undergrad. You need to budget for 8 years of university, with the last 4 being expensive.

Premed classes are going to get a lot harder even at Florida State. Your premed classes are going to contain some of the most serious and studious students at FSU. You might find an attitude of “C’s get degrees” at FSU, but you won’t find much of this among premed students who survive premed classes for more than the first year or so.