<p>I just hate william and mary for various reasons mainly in academics: It is very hard to register for class and half the profs are incompetent( we only have limited profs). However, probably I won't get a high enough GPA to transfer to a much better school like Cornell or Rice. So could anyone give me some benefits of staying at William and Mary? Thank you very much.</p>
<p>How in the world are Cornell and Rice much better schools than W&M!</p>
<p>Unless you’re talking about HYPSMC+Oxbridge, there isn’t a school in this planet that is much better than W&M.</p>
<p>Grade deflation problems? </p>
<p>First take a deep breath. Sounds like you are experiencing freshman crush after grades come out. Its very common and it happens everywhere. You are so excited to be there, you had a good time socially, you wrote papers and took exams and then WHAM! Here comes grades that are not 4.0 for the first time in your life and you feel betrayed by your first love. Classic.</p>
<p>Solution? That depends on you and your maturity level.</p>
<p>Examine the truth and be truthful with yourself. Did you do anything that caused this? Too much socializing or partying? Did you not prepare well for exams? Did you procrastinate on papers? To say its all the professors fault is likely not the cause. Part of college is growing up and facing reality and adversity.</p>
<p>If you have specific fact proven situations that cannot be ameliorated this semester, then transfering is a possibility. And no, transfering to a higher up is usually not likely if you havent done well. Nor is it advisable. Do you have an unrealistic view of yourself? Nothing wrong with pride if its not out of control. Sometimes being in a high school where you are pampered with A’s is not healthy because it sets you up for disappointment in college. </p>
<p>Sometimes getting a C in college is a rude awakening but the best thing that ever happened to you. A wake up call to do an inventory on your own mistakes and attitudes. A dose of humility soup can help.</p>
<p>And sometimes the skies get blue again by March if you are mature and buckle down and work harder or more efficiently…or go back to those professors and ask them humbly what you did wrong and LISTEN TO THEM, without being defensive and accusatory and full of yourself. You might learn that attitude got in the way, or you were chasing windmills and missed the core issues. All sorts of reasons. I am not saying its all your fault. I am not saying they are blameless. I am saying you need to approach this like an investigator…objectively. Ask some trusted friends…be open to criticism. Its healthy frankly. Life’s best lessons come from “failure”…and by that I don’t mean an F. By that I mean learning you may not be the number one dog in the pack and perhaps you need to adjust your thinking or approach or methodology. </p>
<p>My kid had a rough first semester in college (Fordham, Bronx!) and wanted to bolt. Her grades werent bad, but in her mind they were unacceptable and her friends all did well…but doh! they were all New Yorkers! She persevered, we helped her (went up there twice in Jan and Feb), and helped her through some wicked flu, and the professors were VERY helpful and encouraging…and lo and behold, she did fine and by April was enjoying life a lot more. She graduated last year Phi Beta Kappa. She said she may not have picked Fordham for the right reasons in the beginning, but staying was the best decision of her life. Maturity! </p>
<p>Its okay to “fail” (like getting C’s). You aren’t stupid. I presume you aren’t lazy. </p>
<p>Make that list of what went wrong and things you can do to fix it. Speak to profs. Be open and don’t be defensive. LISTEN! </p>
<p>Now…I do know that William and Mary has a reputation of being a bit nerdy and hyper competitive. Its a vibe unto itself. Its not everyone’s cup of tea. Its a fabulous school…but it is what it is. If that truly is not you (and you have social issues there too), and you determine that you made an honest mistake (like picking prestige over good fit), then you may transfer. But be humble and fair and a little easier on yourself. No it wont be Rice. Who cares? NOBODY CARES. Pick a school which is a good fit for you…that may be JMU. It may be Kenyon. It may be Colgate or Fordham or Bucknell. </p>
<p>I don’t know your stats and personality,whether a small school is best for you (LAC) or a big state school. Or a tier two school. There are hundreds of WONDERFUL little schools without the attidudes and nerds of William and Mary. What about Furman? Clemson? UNC? On and on. </p>
<p>And sometimes, taking a break is in the cards. A semester abroad…on a program or on your own. Or a semester working for Habitat for Humanity. To reflect and regroup and recharge. BUT TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BECOME A BETTER PERSON AND BETTER STUDENT. Honestly.</p>
<p>I am giving you this advice to be helpful and fair. Yes, sometimes we make mistakes. But they can be wonderful learning experiences and you can get back on track. It takes hard work. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>W&M has a reputation of being a top-flight school and the couple of people I know who went there were very happy. In terms of registering for classes, many schools have people register by class year or by number of credits completed, so registering as a freshman it is often difficult to get all the classes/profs you want. If that is your main issue, it is unlikely that it will be very different at another school. And it will get MUCH better over time. If you are happy with your friends, the activities on campus etc., then I’d recommend you stay. If you are miserable in all respects, then by all means, look at alternatives. Just remember, every school has its own set of problems – there is no “absolutely perfect” college out there.</p>
<p>complain about the professors is the worset you should do in any case. If you utter even one word in your transfer process, you will be denied.</p>
<p>I agree with all the above that W&M cannot be MUCH worse than the T10 schools. In my days, I went to W&M to take some UG summer credits. I think the professors there are wonderful and very helpful, one of them granted me a two hour private office hours EVERY DAY for the whole 6 weeks session to make up my shortfalls. W&M treated every student in the summer session equally, including me from a low/no ranking school and a student from UVT. I ended up with 2 As and 1 B, no grade deflation.</p>
<p>Study harder, get organized, exercise more, join a club, get more sleep. This is not about W&M, this is about you. The good news is if you got in, you can do it. This is nothing we all havent experienced in some way or another. Rice and Cornell arent better, just different.</p>
<p>You can do it, we are pulling for you.:)</p>
<p>Thank you very much.</p>
<p>OP, I understand that you’re upset and disappointed with your current GPA. I hope it was your frustration talking when you said that “half the profs are incompetent” and “we only have limited profs” at W&M. </p>
<p>If you’re a first-semester freshman, you’ve had perhaps 5 professors? On what basis can you conclude that half the profs at W&M are incompetent? W & M’s faculty is generally regarded as one of its greatest assets. The student-faculty ratio is 12:1 - excellent for a public institution. By “limited profs,” are you referring to the fact that you had difficulty registering for the classes you wanted, or are you saying that teaching assistants teach in place of professors? At W&M, TAs run lab sections and small discussion groups in large, introductory-level classes; they do not teach courses. This is hardly unique to W&M.</p>
<p>I agree with almost every point in sovereigndebt’s excellent post #3 above. I will say that I know a lot of W&M students, and while a good number may be nerdy, I wouldn’t describe them as hyper-competitive. A sense of community is apparent there.</p>
<p>If your current GPA precludes transferring to a more selective school such as Cornell or Rice, ask yourself how likely you’d be to do better academically at one of those schools, even if you were accepted.</p>
<p>I’d try a different major first, before I’d try a transfer.</p>