I am taking 5 classes - I’m not part of a living-learning community, and I am Smeal Pre-Major
If santa clara is affordable, then you could just stay near home and get as good as a job outcome as IU or Penn State. SCU does take transfers from local CC in the bay area and even have a transfer agreement with a lot of them.
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Did you come with any advanced credit?
Have you already fulfilled your Foreign Language requirement?
What class is your favorite (and why)?
Any class you struggle in?
(AFR110N has a reputation for being rather difficult; SCM200 is a relatively easy math class, especially if you took Stats or AP Stats in HS: did you? Are you taking English 15, 15A, 15S, or 15E?)
Have you gone to office hours for any class?
What are your grades right now?
What dorm are you in - is there any dorm-based activity planned tonight, tomorrow, or this weekend (even if it sounds lame)?
Did you attend the activity fair?
If you’re part of a religious group, did you check out the religious building, where they may direct you toward student groups or off campus services?
I’m trying to think of ways for you to make things better.
It sounds like your parents do not want you to withdraw. Do they want you to finish out the year? the semester?
Would they be okay if you didn’t take a gap year but withdrew, went home, worked a bit, and enrolled in community college nearby? Or even if you finished the semester doing your absolutel best (so as not to jeopardize transfer chances) then went to community college in the Spring?
Can you meet with an adviser and see if you could switch to DUS? Because that could open Paterno fellow status for you and thus a closer-knit group+more opportunities.
BTW, the “State” moniker doesn’t mean the same in PA and in CA: in CA, it means the more applied or practical universities (engineering, business…) or universities in the tier below UCs (although that has changed in the past 10-15 years). In PA, it represents the State’s flagship semi public semi private university (it’s a bit like the Cornell contract colleges). Judt in case that figures into your worries.
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Thank you so much for your concern and all the advice. I really appreciate it. Although I was nervous when coming here, I would say I started off pretty well. I tried to block out any thoughts about not being where I wanted to be and met as many people as possible. As a result, I have a pretty sizeable friend group that I spent a lot of time with during the first few weeks. I am also in a few business clubs such as PMA and PSIA and plan to sign up for IM basketball. As I explained earlier, I am very outgoing person so making friends and early connections wasn’t difficult for me. At some point, I think the thoughts of not going to the right school and being far from home overwhelmed me, and I started to sink into a depression.
My standing right now is that I’m going to work with my counselor and see if I can work my way out of the mental hole I’ve dug for myself.
To answer your question about starting community college in the spring, it is something I have considered with my parents and probably a more practical option if I choose to leave after this semester. Their worry is that community colleges classes are highly impacted and I would have trouble getting the classes I need to transfer after two years. Particularly for business schools. Do you happen to have any knowledge about transferring to business schools from community college. Would it be considerably harder than other majors? Thanks.
I’m glad you have circles of friends and clubs.
It’s good you can work with your counselor, figure out what to do about withdrawing, transferring, or staying put.
Sounds like right now you and your parents are leaning toward trying your best till the end of the semester, then withdrawing and enrolling in community college.
Note that you can also ask for a medical leave of absence for Spring if your depression proves too severe. This way, you can get better but you know that, if you change your mind, you can still return (with no obligation to do so).
https://registrar.psu.edu/enrollment/leaving/leave-absence.cfm
To answer your question about business schools:
You can transfer to a California business school from a California Community College; your parents are right, in your area, a lot of the pre-reqs are oversubscribed, so it may take you 3 years. However, if you get good grades 1st semester in college then get good grades at your CC, you have a shot at getting into a business major. Business majors or colleges of business tend to be very competitive. Whether at IU, PSU, or CSUs/UCs, this will require a lot of A’s and Bs and no C’s. Obviously you would forego the residential/independent experience but it’d be cheaper for your parents.
Have you gone to office hours?
How are you doing with AFR110N? SCM200?
(one is known to be hard; the other is an Entrance to Major prereq).
What class are you doing best in? Worst in?
When’s your next/closest exam/test/quiz?
What foreign language did you take in HS (how many years)?
Do you have a loan to attend (typically 5.5K federal loan)?
Did your parents take out a loan on your behalf?
Loan questions: bc if you take a gap semester, withdraw, or take a leave of absence, you may have to start paying back.
How to handle Office hours: they’re listed on your syllabus. During the lecture and during class prep (hw, exercises, problem sets, readings, textbook questions…) write down any question you have or anything that sounds really cool or interesting or puzzling. Then bring your notes to Office Hours and ask your questions/share your excitement or puzzlement. DO SO NOW, when most freshmen don’t think of it: first, it’ll help you understand concepts and second it’ll help the professor remember who you are (and it’ll help when you need letters of recommendations). Check out whether office hours are offered on Friday and make it a point to visit one professor tomorrow and 3 others next week.
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You have added a lot of information. Not uncommon for children of immigrants to struggle within a foreign education system.
For those who intend to major in business, direct admission into a business major is typically the goal; direct admission plus a scholarship to a prestigious undergraduate business program is an outstanding achievement.
In addition to speaking with a counselor or therapist if you so desire, I recommend contacting IU-Kelley and speaking with someone about your situation and about your options. Penn State credits should transfer. Scholarships are available for Kelley students , but transfer students have to apply for scholarships after being admitted to the program.
The progression of this discussion has made matters more complicated than necessary.
As the thread progressed you shared more information. Curious about:
“My dad thought it would be better for me to go to my current school because of its connections for business.”
In a later post, you revealed that your current school is Penn State and that your parents are immigrants. Was your dad thinking of U Penn (Ivy League University of Pennsylvania) or was he familiar with some type of Penn State University business connections ?
I ask because I am struggling to understand why a full pay family would select general admission to Penn State over direct admission to IU-Kelley with a scholarship. Understandable for one to consider foregoing a scholarship offer like yours to attend Ivy league U Penn, but not Penn State.
Relevant to the current discussion because such a realization may have caused serious thoughts of regret.
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Yes, this is what I’ve been having the most trouble with. My dad was correct, for the most part, if I hadn’t been admitted to IU Kelley, Penn State would have been the best business school I applied to. As I mentioned above, I mishandled the process of reviewing my admissions and missed out on what direct admission truly meant. As a result, I’m left to decide whether taking any action toward trying to regain admission is in my best interest.
But really - I think you are creating an issue that doesn’t exist. You are where you are.
If I should have gone to Outback for dinner instead of Longhorn - but I didn’t.
I’m sorry you made the wrong decision but guess what - you could meet your bff or wife and oh and sorry to what @publisher believes but you are putting IU Kelley on a pedestal and yes it’s a wonderful school but guess what, Smeal stands tall too.
You may not want to hear it and I’m not sure why anyone is stating otherwise. Just because a magazine states it doesn’t mean it’s true.
Should you have mental health issues , bigger issue. If you are homesick - so will be a large percentage of IU and if you’d rather go home - then do so after the semester.
But this entire I mishandled the situation - ok - note you are where you are and frankly it’s an outstanding school. I should have gone to ASU undergrad instead of Syracuse. But guess what - I didn’t. And I took advantage of what SU offered.
You can’t take back what happened.
Can you get there ? Yes but you’ll be behind socially, monetarily, maybe academically, etc.
In life, You’ll take classes you wish you didn’t but guess what that other course is full. You’ll order spaghetti when you should have ordered lasagna.
You can live a life of regret or you can take the fantastic opportunity you have and run with it.
I’m not a counselor so I cannot evaluate you mental health wise.
But it sounds to me like you don’t love PSU, put that into your mind that it’s not a great place and here we are.
And that’s a shame.
And you’re hearing from another that because Kelley is huge it’s wonderful. Perhaps it is. But that if you’re at Smeal short of one major it stinks.
And that’s total bs. Sorry. Just look at the career outcomes to know it.
I wish you luck but you are going to put yourself in a worse position if you leave PSU for the wrong reason, mainly I made an error in choosing one big 10 school for another. If you need to go home, that I get.
I’m hopeful you are like many - one day at thanksgiving you wake up realizing that the homesickness is gone. - I can’t wait to get back to campus.
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@kraj500: You need to contact IU-Kelley to discuss your options.
You are not a business major at PSU.
You were & will be a direct admit to IU-Kelley.
@kraj500 has checked their options : they can’t get direct admission to Kelley anymore.
More precisely: They need to apply for Spring as Undeclared, be admitted to IU, take the core pre-reqs, have no grade below a B, then after some grades at IU apply to Kelley where admission is not a formality. So it’s a real risk.
(Unfortunately the only course that would transfer as part of the Core is Freshman Composition but it’d be replaced with a killer weed-out class, Finite Math, which Kelley students take in their 1st year).
Right now:
Would you be withdrawing from PSU now (I’m guessing this will be impossible to hear for your parents, especially since they shelled $25,000 for you to attend. A medical leave means you can return, a withdrawal means the money parents paid was flushed down the drain.)
Have you discussed Medical Leave with parents? With your counselor?
Then you can attend a CC & work a.service/retail job near your parents’house, hoping to transfer, probably to SJSU.
Unless I’m mistaken your parents would rather have you finish out the semester – then stay home and attend CC the following semester.
Would they be open to your trying to transfer to Indiana instead of CC->a CA CSU/polytechnic?
Please answer the questions about grades etc. (So thet we can evaluate your chances).
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One thing to consider. You seem to be considering applying to IU for spring and/or Cali schoold. You may find that once you do and have a potential out then a burden is lifted. With you having a real option, you may find that you can try Penn State with a fresh perspective and may decide you like. Filling paperwork to go to IU or a California school in the spring doesn’t mean you have to go. It is now just an option. And staying at Penn State is also an option. You have a second bite at the apple to pick. It won’t be exactly the same options and pros and cons, but you do get to pick again. Be sure to seriously consider Penn State with the other options because it is a good choice for business.
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@kraj500: Direct admission is limited to Fall applicants and to those applying by November 1 with fewer than 12 college credits, therefore @MYOS1634’s more specific advice should be considered.
It is unclear to me whether your mental health concern is serious enough to warrant a move back to California and enter the CC system.
In answer to your question posed in the original post in this thread, as @MYOS1634 pointed out, withdrawing now would result in a loss of your tuition for the first semester at PSU.
As more information was shared by the you, the thread has become less about the thread title and more about college costs and mental health. I and other posters cannot address what is the best course of action for your mental health. COA differences between remaining at your current university versus returning to your home state of California and entering a community college program initially then completing your degree at another in-state school can be calculated by you. In summary, this is now a personal matter that is based on mental health and finances.
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