<p>I am currently a freshman at a medium-sized liberal arts school. I thought I would be having the time of my lfe here just like all my friends at other schools seem to be doing, but that just isn't happening. My school is $40,000+ a year and I really don't feel like it's worth that. The academics are good, but I dont think they are worth as much as my family and I are paying. I don't want to come out of school with tons of debt if I don't have to, and I hate putting this burden on my family. I really don't know what to do. I don't want to tell my family I am unhappy here because for so long I thought I was making the right decision, but now I am not so sure. Any advice on what I should do? Transfer? Wait it out?</p>
<p>If you feel like you are putting too heavy a financial burden on your family, I would definitely at least consider the idea of transferring. You mentioned that you arent having the time of your life, so it sounds like you aren’t even enjoying it that much. That isn’t a bad position to be in if you think the money is somewhat going to waste. It would be alot worse if you had tons of great friends and were enjoying it so much, yet didn’t want to be a financial burden. It would be hard to leave a place you love so much. But you don’t sound like you are enjoying it very much so parting with it wouldn’t be a terrible thing. Just feel things out for a bit, maybe another month or two, and then reconsider everything. Don’t be too prudent in these sorts of decisions.</p>
<p>What is the school? How much debt are you and your family taking out? What exactly do you mean by not having the time of your life just a couple of months into your first semester?</p>
<p>Lots of students are still adjusting to their college even second semester of freshmen year. In many cases, the college is a great fit, the students just need some time to adjust.</p>
<p>In some cases in which students are having the “time of their life” either they are lying or they are simply happy that they have a great deal of independence. They could be equally happy at any college that’s away from their homes.</p>
<p>If you’re taking out, for instance, $10 k a year in debt to attend virtually any college, that’s not worth it because that’s a staggering amount of debt that will cripple your options in the future. The average amount of debt college students take out to pay for all of their undergrad education is about $20k, if you will take out considerably more, reconsider where you’ve chosen to go for college.</p>
<p>I’m a freshman too, but I love my school. My feeling is if you don’t like it to begin with, you’ll never love it enough to allow that kind of a fee not to go to waste.</p>
<p>I somewhat disagree with what people have been saying so far…</p>
<p>I think that what’s going on is that you just aren’t happy at school yet. A big problem with the whole “college transition” is that everyone is convinced that they have to have an amazing time at school (and if not, then something is wrong). You’ve heard it every year from the older kids who come back: “college is amazing,” etc., etc. But I think that most people really don’t feel that way, at least not entirely. </p>
<p>Everyone has trouble adjusting to their new lives at college. Some are just plain homesick. Some miss girlfriends/boyfriends. Some just don’t know how to take care of themselves. Altogether, these new adjustments can add on a lot of extra stress and worries that you wouldn’t normally have, were you happy as a clam. Therefore, I think that you still just aren’t adjusted to college life yet (for whatever reason), and that is making you over-analyze different aspects of your education (like how much $ is being spent). You’re probably thinking, “Hey, I’m not having the time of my life, hence this isn’t worth the money.” I went through the same thing. You just have to give it time. If you really thought about your decision to attend the school you are at, then odds are it is a place you can be happy at. The problem is that you set your expectations for college life waaaayyy too high, by thinking that the second you enter the pearly gates of campus, your life will be changed for the better. That’s just not true. It takes time to really begin to enjoy college. Going back to what I said before: those people who say they are having the times of their lives and who are saying they have best friends are just saying that to comfort themselves. Sure there are some people that are probably having a lot of fun, but for most people this new “enjoyment” is ephemeral, and it will really take a couple of months (probably into 2nd semester) for you to REALLY feel comfortable at school. </p>
<p>SO, give it some more time… realize that you don’t have to be having the time of your life just yet. </p>
<p>If your family is truly in financial trouble, then you can think about transferring some place where the tuition is cheaper. But don’t think about leaving just because you aren’t having a blast. You wouldn’t be having a blast anywhere, yet.</p>
<p>That’s my take</p>
<p>well surely you must have considered the financial situation before you even agreed to go there. if you’re just realizing it now that it’s not worth it, then you should go to a school that’s cheaper. but you should probably give it some time. maybe you’ll end up liking it. but if you probably just like it somewhat, but still feel like it’s cosing too much money, then you just have to decide what’s more important to you. </p>
<p>i considered the money factor deeply when i was choosing schools. i really wanted to go to rpi, but it’s going to put me in a ton of debt. maybe $120,000 or more once i graduate, about $30,000 a year, and that’s the cheapest i could get it down to, including FA and work study and everything. i finally decided it’s not worth it to be in debt, but now i always wondered how it would be like if i did go out of state. i’m not very happy here, but everything is free. but i might have felt better if i could at least get some college experience out of state. so you should just enjoy it while you’re there, and if you really feel like you just can’t afford the whole 4 years, then transfer.</p>
<p>A college degree is worth a lot over the course of your lifetime.</p>
<p>give it time or study hard and transfer.</p>
<p>Usually it’s the kids who start college outgoing are the ones who have the ideal college life.
I wasn’t one of them but I still enjoy mine a lot. Actually there isn’t enough time…</p>