<p>I am currently a freshman at Penn State University (University Park) and have been here for about two weeks now. Recently Ive been getting nervous that I may not be in the right place. I love the big school, I got into Smeal as a freshman, the campus is beautiful, but at the same time there are so many kids from my high school that are here and the whole social aspect of it is bothering me. Im already beginning to feel like Im going to be with the same kids that I have always been with throughout high school, and I would really much rather expand and meet others. Its easy to say there are 40000 other kids, but everywhere I go I keep seeing people from my high school, and I feel obligated to hang out with them, because some were good friends from home. Some of my friends went far away and seem to love it and love the fact that they are completely on their own, starting over, etc. Also Ive always kind of assumed id be here... came here for basketball camps a few times, been to games, etc, so its not like its completely new and exciting for me...Part of me thinks that I should just wait out a little bit and hope that I can separate myself here, then the other part kinda wishes I would have went farther away and done my own thing. The other part of the problem is that I am in a really good business school and I dont want to give that up. This may just be me overreacting but I just figured I would post on here, see if anybody had some advice.... Thanks to anybody who actually reads this and responds haha</p>
<p>Buyer's remorse is inevitable, as is the feeling of being in some sort of 13th grade because of all your HS buddies there. But let the time pass, I'm sure your sense of obligation to them will dissolve under the ceaseless pressure of classwork, extracurriculars, and the ridiculous parties.</p>
<p>There's 40000 students on campus. That means 39950 unfamiliar faces on campus. Your old friends are likely a little scared at that fact and want to hang out with old friends. You may be too.</p>
<p>You can start slowly if you want. Hang out together in twos and go on the prowl for new people. Introduce each other to classmates and dorm mates. Seek out the various cliques that interest you on the quad and in dining halls.</p>
<p>I think things will work out for you and you will meet new friends during the semester and beyond. My son goes to a college where there are about 10 other students from his high school. Plus he was randomly placed with a good friend as his roommate. But he made new friends with other people from his hall, from his classes, and from some groups he joined. Just give it time.</p>
<p>This is common.....relax. Embrace your school. Get involved in clubs and meet new people. Classes will ramp up and that will also change the environment as well. The key thing is to not dwell on it and become obsessed with it, or hang with people who do. The toughest month us usually January, after the Holidays and the weather is bad. But hang in there.</p>
<p>Why don't you talk it over with your old friends that you hanging out with now? Maybe they have the exact same problem and don't know how to bring it up with you. And you can always keep old friends and make new ones. You might find yourself distancing yourself from the older ones though. If you really like them, then it shouldn't be a problem to keep hanging out with them. Just make sure they're not the only people you are hanging out with.</p>
<p>I know it's much easier to give advice than to actually use it. Hope it helps =)</p>
<p>Join a club. Do something you've never done before - you'll meet kids you've never met before. </p>
<p>Join a club that does something you did used to do. If you sing, join the choir. If you played football, join the intramural team. </p>
<p>If you get involved, you'll find people other than your high school friends to hang with.</p>
<p>I think sometimes students get so caught up in all the fervor surrounding college that it gets built up into a great big deal where everything should be new, exciting and facsinating all the time. So when they get to school and it's not all that, they may think they made a bad choice or wrong decision. You are probably not alone in your feelings.</p>
<p>Going far away from home/familiarity will not necessarliy guarantee a better college experience. Those who went far away and are very enthusiastic now may also have twinges of doubt later on down the road when others are going home for a weekend visit, short sch. break or family occasion but they can't because of distance/expense. </p>
<p>Don't make a hasty decision. Give yourself more time to explore all the opportunities a large state u. offers. Try not to feel that you are missing out on something just because you didn't venture off to some place where you would be unknown to anyone. You don't have to go some place exotic to have a great college experience. Make an effort to meet new people without blowing off your old friends. </p>
<p>As time goes by and the excitement of the first weeks in college wanes, you may actually be surprised at how much you enjoy seeing familiar faces, along with the new ones you meet along the way. You may not realize it now but it gives you a comfort zone that you wouldn't know you missed until it wasn't there. Both my kids are at big instate u's (freshman and senior) and are enjoying being able to maintain old relationships there while also making new ones. Good luck.</p>
<p>Because of the global economy, it will be more and more important for business students to have experience overseas. It would be worth your time to look into taking a semester abroad next year--you can start looking into the possibilities now--talking to profs, boning up on a language, etc.--this will give you something to look forward to and be excited about, and may help satisfy your cravings for adventure and change. You ARE at a great school with lots of opportunities--I bet they have wonderful foreign exchange programs and you may like it so much that you may want to go again in your junior or senior year.</p>
<p>So, MK, how are things working out for you now? I hope better.</p>
<p>Relax, join a couple of clubs, get involved on campus...being active and getting to know people through activities will help ease your way into the school. Also, classes get smaller as you move up the ladder, it'll soon feel smaller. </p>
<p>Best of wishes!</p>
<p>I've ran into many people who had the same problem. Some say it's no fun at all, while others enjoy it. If your going to stay at Penn State University.... if your old friends are good friends, while making new ones keep at least the good friends in mind. Although if you found out your old friends are not really friends/ good friends, while making new ones still be careful... in case they come out not to be good friends as well.</p>
<p>You should try joining one of the clubs around Penn State. There are hundreds of them and it's really easy to meet a lot of people. I would say greek life, but most people are not always a big fan. I would definitely look into some of intramural clubs and tons of other things around campus.</p>