<p>I'm looking for any sort of help and advice you can give me.</p>
<p>I'm a freshman at Iowa State University right now. I just started my second semester about a month ago.
I've been thinking about transferring, but I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do.
I started out pretty excited about being at ISU the first couple weeks. I was meeting a lot of new people, and trying some new things. I went home some weekends, but when I was home all I could talk about was college life. However, I began working for the college newspaper and getting very stressed and burned out. I started going home constantly and was very unhappy.
I quit my job before the beginning of the 2nd semester, but I am still unhappy. I am no longer sure of what I want to major in and am not sure that I want to go to school here anymore.<br>
I still spend some time with people in my dorm, eating meals with them and sometimes hanging out which is fine. I haven't clicked with any of the people I know here, which I expected would happen, and most (possibly all) are moving out of the dorms or transferring next year. I feel like everyone I know separated into cliques while I was busy working.
ISU is a not a bad school, but I feel so apathetic about it. Most people here drink, and I don't have a huge problem with other people drinking, but it seems like that is the only thing to do in small town Iowa on the weekends.
My classes are so-so with the exception of anthropology, which I am thinking of majoring or minoring in (I told myself not to decide on a major until at least the end of this semester so I wouldn't settle.)
I am thinking about transferring to a more urban area and trying to start over. I am also wondering if maybe choosing a large school wasn't the best idea for me, because I've been having a hard time connecting with people. I love the idea of a large school, but I wonder if maybe a small school in a more urban area might be a better fit.
All of my HS friends that have gone off to college seem to be having an amazing time and have found great new people to hang out with. That, however, does not seem to be the case for me.
I have considered transferring to Drake University, a small college in Des Moines (my hometown), but my best friend will be going there next fall and I don't know if I want to transfer there because I will know someone there or because Drake seems like a better fit.
I have also thought about transferring to San Diego, but I will far away from everyone I know if I get homesick. I've considered Chicago, too, but it is extremely expensive and much colder and still hard to get home if I get homesick.</p>
<p>I am extremely unsure about what to do, but I feel that since I have no serious attachments to ISU this would be a good time to try something new. I also think that January might be too late to start thinking about transferring next year and as much as I hate to think about it, I wonder if it might be better to stick out another year so that I can have more time to figure out what I want to do.</p>
<p>If you need any clarifications about my post or just need a little more info, just ask. I'm looking for any sort of advice, because I have no idea what I should do.
Please reply, and thanks for reading my lengthy post!</p>
<p>You have just described a classic case of culture shock: two or three months of a nearly delirious "honeymoon" period, followed by depression and rejection of your current environment and the feeling that you have no friends and never will. Unfortunately this is like the common cold: it ain't over until it's over. But fortunately, like the common cold, it does have a clear pattern and does indeed end. Much as rest and healthy diet help your body recover from a cold, good nutrition, good sleep habits, and healthy social interactions will help you adapt to your new cultural environment. Usually the whole process takes 9 to 12 months which is why the first year of college can be so horrendous - by the time you are adapted to the college/university and are finally feeling truly comfortable there, it is time to head home for the summer.</p>
<p>Your first order of business is to find a part-time job (paid or volunteer) that isn't as demanding of your time as your work on the ISU Daily. This should be a job where you have a natural interaction with other human beings. The main library, and food service are good places to start. You will be given a routine opportunity to socialize, and will begin to develop relationships with your co-workers (and other students that you see regularly) that are based on your common experiences. Other options would be to set up a study-group for one of your classes, join a club, work on one of the student-run drama productions (are there still concerts in the Maintenance Shop at the Union?), or join the VEISHA committee for your dorm. Before you know it, it will be spring, Ames will be beautiful, and you will know one or two people to go have coffee with.</p>
<p>The best book I've ever read on dealing with culture shock (and yes, you can have it just moving from your HS in Des Moines to ISU in Ames) is "The Art of Crossing Cultures" by Craig Storti. See if they have it at the ISU library. If it's not there, stop by the International Student Office and pick up whatever they've got on the subject.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the very best.</p>
<p>That's good advice from happymomof1. I would also suggest that you consider joining an extracurricular activity that would put you in contact with others who share an interest. Pick something that isn't potentially stressful like the newspaper. Most clubs don't have any duties or deadlines. Joining a club that focuses on a physical activity like "Frisbee for Fun" or "Disc Golf" can be a good way to blow off steam or beat winter doldrums. There's even an Anthropology Club at ISU (Anthropology</a> Club: Iowa State University) which might interest you and connect you with like-minded people (as well as help you decide on your choice of major down the road). </p>
<p>I think you're wise not to rush into a transfer now. Try to follow these suggestions and, then, if you're still not happy, consider transferring in January 2010 or the following September. </p>
<p>If you do consider transfer colleges, there are some very strong liberal arts colleges in Iowa and elsewhere in the Midwest that also have good financial aid, so--depending on how much aid you qualify for--you may be pleasantly surprised that your costs at a private school may be comparable to your state school costs or at least not vastly more. You could stick somewhat close to home but not too close to home.</p>